BOYS-<'GIRLS 
^AN EARN 

MONEY 
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HOW BOYS AND GIRLS 

CAN 
EARN MONEY 



By the Same Author 




MAKING THE FARM 


PAY 


WEALTH FROM THE SOIL 


Each, $1.00 





HOW BOYS AND GIRLS 



CAN EARN MONEY 



By 

C:C. BOWSFIELD 

Author of 
"Making the Farm Pay", etc. 




CHICAGO 
FORBES AND COMPANY 

1916 



Copyright, 1916, by 
Forbes and Company 



OCT 16 1916 

©CI,A438908 



:b6 



PREFACE 

When I began writing for the newspapers on this sub- 
ject of how boys and girls can earn money I was 
doubtful of the wisdom of my efforts. It was an at- 
tractive theme, however, and several editors told me 
that the feature was one of the most popular in their 
papers. My fear was that I might stimulate avarice 
and cause a neglect of wholesome studies and duties 
by presenting the idea of money making in an allur- 
ing way to school children who did not need to aid in 
the support of themselves or their homes. 

After giving due consideration to the matter I found 
that there were weightier arguments on the other side. 
I became entirely satisfied that I could perform a serv- 
ice of the highest usefulness and importance by im- 
parting correct information on money earning methods 
and helping to guide young folks in the right direction. 

The majority of people are brought in contact with 
the commercial side of life by necessity, more or less 
urgent, at a very early age. Whether it is a pressing 
necessity or not, every young person should have prac- 
tical knowledge of how to get on in the world, and 
such knowledge should come in the school age, before 
the hour for choosing a vocation arrives. 

There is an almost universal desire for money earn- 
ing and the acquisition of wealth. This needs judi- 
cious guidance rather than repression. A total neg- 



PREFACE 

lect of the subject by teachers and writers is wrong. 
The wise and helpful course is to direct these impulses 
and desires along practical paths toward good ends 
and high ideals. 

There are bad ways and good ways of earning 
money. There are also unworthy purposes in the ac- 
quisition of wealth. Assuming that we cannot ignore 
the common necessity of industrial activity, it is not 
merely a wise thing but it is something of a mission 
to help boys and girls to start right and to make the 
best of their opportunities, instead of allowing them to 
drift or blunder into any kind of work. Some kinds 
of labor are better than others for both body and mind. 
Some are more elevating than others. One class of 
work pays much better than another, even when moral 
considerations are balanced. Some jobs may be taken 
up and laid down without much waste of time. Others 
need a longer test. Then again, a writer looking into 
the subject learns of many practical things that a boy 
or girl will not think of and cannot know about without 
help or long study and experience. In view of these 
facts we see that parents and teachers also have a large 
responsibility in helpfully directing young people to 
such work. 

I have aimed to be practical and to cover a wide 
range of subjects and conditions. There are sug- 
gestions for young people in all walks of life, some 
of the plans covering city and suburban work and 
others farm projects. In connection with these meth- 
ods of earning money there will be a broad train- 



PREFACE 

ing in domestic duties and even in the responsibilities 
of citizenship. The experience gained by young peo- 
ple who follow the plans laid down in this work will 
prove a stepping stone to success, for it will most cer- 
tainly indicate aptitude and fitness for some perma- 
nent vocation. 

C. C. BOWSFIELD. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I Plans for Ambitious Young People . 1 1 

II Odd Ways of Earning Money . . .16 

III Selling Lists of Names .... 23 

IV Using Talent in Profitable Ways . . 26 
V Developing a New Business ... 34 

VI Home-Made Candies Pay Well . . 42 

VII Basketry Interesting and Profitable . 49 

VIII Raffia Wares Bring Profits ... 54 

IX Money Making Novelties . . . .61 

X Photography Gives Good Returns . 'JJ 

XI Opportunities in the Country ... 88 

XII Giving Attention to Agriculture . . 95 

XIII Collecting and Growing Flowers . .100 

XIV Methods of Cultivating Flowers . .106 
XV Profits from Medicinal Plants . .112 

XVI Cultivation of Pop Corn . . . .117 

XVII Production and Sale of Vegetables . 121 

XVIII Large Returns from Succession Crops 143 

XIX Asparagus Growing 148 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PACl 

XX Success with Mushrooms . . .158 

XXI Canning Fruits and Vegetables .162 

XXII Preparing Unfermented Grape Juice . 175 

XXIII Caring for Hedges 184 

XXIV Poultry Is Profitable ..... 188 
XXV Start with a Small Flock . . . .194 

XXVI Squab Raising as a Business . . . 202 

XXVII Profit in Trapping . . . . .210 

XXVIII Angora Goat Raising . . . . .217 

XXIX Belgian Hares and Domestic Rabbits 223 

XXX Corn and Pig Clubs . . . . .227 

XXXI Articles of Woodwork .... 232 

XXXII Flower Planting Calendar ... 236 

XXXIII Vegetable Planting Calendar ... 243 



HOW BOYS AND GIRLS 
CAN EARN MONEY - 

CHAPTER I 

PLANS FOR AMBITIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE 

Many young people of both sexes feel the need of 
earning money as they go through school, or it may 
be they are compelled to give up schooling in order to 
support themselves. Thousands of boys and girls in 
their teens have to bear the burden of contributing 
regularly to the maintenance of their homes. 

In stating these facts and discussing the situation 
upon which they are based I have little to do v^ith 
theory. We are dealing with a concrete condition. 
A majority of young people are face to face with the 
stern reality of earning a living, or at least of con- 
tributing toward family support. 

It is one of the most inspiring features of Ameri- 
can life that many of the great leaders rose from the 
ranks of the poor. Their education came through 
patient application during and after their days of toil. 
Nothing could be more noble or more praiseworthy 
than such toil, especially when it is coupled with the 

II 



12 PLANS FOR AMBITIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE 

necessity of aiding parents and brothers and sisters. 
Circumstances of this kind are very common, and it 
will pass without argument that the best character and 
the greatest capacity for usefulness are founded upon 
the strenuous duties which boys and girls are com- 
pelled to face at an early age. 

It is best for character development and the build- 
ing of permanent success not to depend a great deal on 
sympathy or friendship. It is proper, however, to 
ask for work and then to give a fair equivalent for the 
payment received. Young people will find many 
friends who will strain a point to give them employ- 
ment, or who will show them where odd jobs of work 
may be secured. Perhaps boys can find a greater 
variety of chores than girls can. Usually it is easier 
for them to hustle around and ask for work. On the 
other hand, girls have an advantage in being able to 
do much of their own mending, hat trimming, and 
similar tasks, and they take naturally to certain lines 
of domestic work for which boys are not adapted, but 
which pay very well. Both boys and girls have a good 
field for earning money in getting subscribers to news- 
papers and magazines, or in selling books and house- 
hold articles. Therefore it may be said that the race 
for success is about even. 

No boy or girl need hesitate about going to high 
school, preparatory school or college because of a 
shortage of money. At a women's college a can- 
vass was made to ascertain what girls were partly or 
entirely self-supporting. It was learned that a great 



PLANS FOR AMBITIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE 13 

many were obliged to earn a share of their expenses 
in college. A few had no outside means whatever. 
They w^ere working their way through a full course 
by taking care of the library, waiting on table, doing 
odd jobs of clerking or bookkeeping, canvassing for 
magazines, writing news or short stories, helping at 
housework, and other occupations. The conclusion 
was reached that girls had equal opportunities with 
boys for supporting themselves or piecing out the 
family income. 

There are any number of legitimate plans by which 
a young person can earn money, especially in a large 
town, and of course most of the colleges are in good- 
sized cities. A girl who is familiar with stenography 
and typewriting has a decided advantage when it 
comes to earning a little extra money. She has her 
Saturdays and two or three hours on other days to 
devote to customers. There are many professional 
men and small business concerns that require a 
stenographer and typewriter for an hour or two daily. 
The pay in such cases is sufficient to meet a girl's living 
expenses. Sometimes a good student gets employ- 
ment in doing extra work in the class rooms, such as 
correcting papers and substituting as a teacher. Oc- 
casionally a young woman can earn her college ex- 
penses by reading to invalids. One of the encourag- 
ing features about this kind of an effort is the general 
willingness to help deserving young people to work 
their way through school. 

Methods by which boys or young men can earn 



14 PLANS FOR AMBITIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE 

their way will almost suggest themselves. Clerking 
during busy hours is a common form of employment 
among college boys. Some young men do nicely as 
train hands either on elevated or surface roads. A 
few get odd jobs of reporting on the daily newspapers. 
There are numerous chances in a great variety of 
avocations. It goes without saying that a student of 
either sex to make a success in this way must have a 
strong constitution. A delicate person would break 
down in carrying the double burden. There must be 
regularity of hours for sleep, meals, employment and 
recreation. However, any ambitious young person in 
good health can safely devote two hours a day to 
writing, clerking, or as helper in almost any line of 
business, besides giving proper attention to studies. 
It is also reasonable to undertake a little more than 
this amount of work on Saturdays, as school studies 
are not likely to interfere then, and Sunday will afford 
time for rest. 

Every young person should try to have a savings ac- 
count in some convenient bank. A few dollars put away 
every year will soon grow into a competence. Young 
men and women who are earning wages should aim to 
save ten to twenty per cent, of their incomes. This 
will make them independent by the time they have 
reached middle-age. Money at compound interest in- 
creases with astonishing speed, and besides giving se- 
curity to the owner enables him or her to buy a home 
and make other good investments in due time. It 
is a serious mistake for boys and girls to become ex- 



PLANS FOR AMBITIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE 



15 



travagant and spend their earnings without trying to 
build up a bank account against future emergencies or 
for investments in valuable property. 

Computations showing practical results of a savings accoimt in 
accumulations of monthly deposits of from one to twenty dollars 
in one to ten years, when interest is compounded semi-annually at 
three per cent, per annum. 



Monthly 
Deposit 


1 
Year 


2 

Years 


3 

Years 


4 

Years 


5 

Years 


10 
Years 


$1 


12.19 


24.75 


37.67 


51.00 


64.72 


139.80 


$2 


24.39 


49.50 


75.37 


102.03 


129.49 


279.73 


$3 


36.58 


74.25 


113.08 


153.06 


194.26 


419.68 


$4 


48.78 


99.01 


150.79 


204.11 


259.06 


559.67 


$5 


60.97 


123.78 


188.47 


255.13 


323.81 


699.58 


$6 


73.17 


148.54, 


226.20 


306.19 


388.62 


839.58 


$7 


85.36 


173.29 


263.90 


357.22 


453.37 


979.52 


$8 


97.56 


198.06 


301.60 


408.26 


518.15 


1119.50 


$9 


109.75 


222.81 


339.28 


459.28 


582.91 


1259.40 


$10 


121.95 


247.57 


376.99 


510.33 


647.70 


1399.38 


$11 


134.14 


272.33 


414.70 


561.37 


712.47 


1539.31 


$12 


146.34 


297.10 


452.43 


612.43 


777.28 


1679.34 


$13 


158.53 


321.85 


490.11 


663.47 


842.06 


1819.30 


$14 


170.73 


346.62 


527.82 


714.49 


906.81 


1959.21 


$15 


182.92 


371.37 


565.51 


765.52 


971.57 


2099.12 


$16 


195.12 


396.13 


603.22 


816.58 


1036.38 


2239.14 


$17 


207.31 


420.90 


640.93 


867.61 


1101.14 


2379.07 


$18 


219.51 


445.65 


678.62 


918.64 


1165.91 


2519.02 


$19 


231.70 


470.41 


716.33 


969.70 


1230.70 


2659.01 


$20 


243.91 


495.18 


754.05 


1020.75 


1295.50 


2798.98 



CHAPTER II 

ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY 

The sale of old newspapers and magazines furnishes 
pin money to not a few boys and girls. Canvass your 
neighborhood for the privilege of collecting these 
articles at regular intervals, and people will be glad to 
save them for you instead of burning them up. Store 
the papers in your attic or basement until you have 
enough to make it worth while to sell to a junk dealer. 

In a well-known town in the Middle West there is 
a boy who earns considerable money assisting house- 
keepers clean house. He is not afraid to work, and 
people have found out that when he cleans a rug or 
sweeps a floor, he does it thoroughly. He works 
nights after school and Saturday forenoons. He 
reserves Saturday afternoon for his recreation and 
play-time. He charges lo cents an hour for his time. 

Washing windows is the most particular job which 
this boy has to do. He furnishes his own cloths for 
this purpose, being careful to use only such as are free 
from lint. He has learned that he can get the best 
results by using two kinds of water for cleansing pur- 
poses. He uses hot, soapy water in one pail for the 
first washing. For rinsing he uses hot water into 
which he has put a tablespoonful of ammonia. 

i6 



ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY I7 

Many people leave their flowering plants in their 
yards each fall to be destroyed by the frost just for the 
want of a place to put them. A wide-awake boy can 
make a window box for plants with a very little 
trouble and almost no expense. A soap-box to which 
has been nailed four boards about three inches wide 
and two and a half feet long for standards, is all that 
is necessary in the way of carpentry. Paint the box 
green and line it with waterproof paper roofing. The 
lining, however, is not absolutely necessary. Fill the 
box with good, rich soil and place it before your cus- 
tomer's sunniest window. The plants may now be 
taken up and placed in this indoor garden spot, where 
they will bloom all winter. 

The vacuum-cleaning business may be made a 
profitable one by two boys. Before investing any 
money in a cleaner, canvass some of the homes in your 
city or town and secure your customers. From 25 to 
40 cents an hour can be charged for cleaning carpets 
and rugs, according to the size of the cleaner. The 
cleaner that is run by hand is the best for you to buy 
as an investment. Two boys will earn a good per- 
centage on the money invested by operating the 
vacuum cleaner during the hours after school and on 
Saturdays. It will take one boy to run the cleaner 
while the other does the cleaning. 

Almost every home acquires quite a considerable 
accumulation of rubbish through the winter and 
spring months, which for want of better place, is 
dumped in some out-of-the-way corner of the yard, 



l8 ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY 

there to lie until opportunity offers for someone to 
carry it off to the nearest public dumping ground. 
Often, boys will be gladly engaged for the job if they 
ask for the work in time. 

It is not absolutely necessary that you have a wheel- 
barrow or hand cart for this work, as in many cases 
the homes where you are hired will provide such a 
convenience ; if not, the rubbish that can not be burned 
can be carried away in baskets on the installment plan. 

The way to go about securing jobs of this kind is 
to call from door to door and politely ask if there is 
not some rubbish in the yard that you may remove 
for a small sum. If your eyes are sharp enough to 
note unsightly piles of refuse or scattered articles of 
no account in the yard, before you talk with the oc- 
cupants of the home, all the better. In that case tell 
them at once that you should like very much to be per- 
mitted to get rid of such rubbish (pointing it out), and 
that it will cost only lo cents (or whatever your esti- 
mated price may be). 

I would advise boys and girls who are looking 
around for openings to make money to visit first of all 
farmers who have a variety of products, including 
vegetables, berries, orchard fruits, poultry and dairy 
cows. Such a place will have plenty of work for extra 
hands all summer. If young people show that they 
are determined to be useful to their employers they will 
get an unlimited amount of choring to do. 

Boys and girls have been known to clean up consid- 
erable money by making labels for canned fruits and 



ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY 19 

vegetables. This is a simple piece of work, but it is 
sometimes very vexatious to a housekeeper who is 
driven with manifold cares. It is possible to secure 
gummed paper at the stores which deal in such goods. 
This paper can be cut into the desired sizes and the 
lettering made either with pen and ink or a rubber 
stamp. The work is as enjoyable as a game and can 
be done in the evening or at odd times. 

Nearly all women have use for such labels and 
would be willing to pay a fair price for having a supply 
of them. If boys and girls will make a few samples 
and go around the neighborhood showing them they 
will readily secure a great many orders. If it is not 
convenient to get gummed paper the gumming can be 
done with ordinary mucilage. Use sheets of paper 
about letter size and put on the mucilage before cutting 
up for labels. Any fair quality of paper will do and 
there may be different colors. 

If a young person can find a pretty large neighbor- 
hood, either in town or country, where there is no 
competition it might pay to buy a cheap printing press 
for making labels. Of course the work can be done 
rapidly and cheaply with such facilities. If the work 
is done with a pen care must be taken to have neat 
lettering. 

One girl, of many bright ideas, solved the spending 
money question by applying for the work of making 
the school posters for advertising ball games, debates, 
entertainments, and similar events. This work was 
usually let out to a local printer. But she volunteered 



20 ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY 

to work out clever, novel ideas and to make up really 
striking posters for advertising purposes. Some of 
her classmates were a bit skeptical as to her ability, 
but they finally agreed to let her try her hand. She 
worked hard at the posters, and succeeded so well that 
she won the commendation of the whole community. 
Her work helped the school as well as herself ; for the 
good posters advertised the school affairs so well 
that the attendance was larger than usual, and she 
had no difficulty in securing all the work of that 
kind for the entire school. Moreover, the posters 
were so attractive that many of her fellow-students 
desired copies for their rooms or dens, and she was 
almost overwhelmed with orders. 

A boy who needs to earn money in order to help the 
family or to pay his school expenses should hunt up a 
few regular customers who will give him jobs. There 
are people both in town and country who can furnish 
such employment. City housekeepers or tradesmen 
need extra help on Saturdays or for an hour or two in 
the morning or evening. 

The youth might write out a list of jobs that he 
could give time to and then make a canvass to see who 
would employ him. There are many people who 
would be glad to hire a boy for the whole w^inter to 
keep their walks clean. 

In order to gain some regular customers for this 
work, a boy should make house-to-house calls, notice 
the walks about each place he would be required to 
keep clean, and name the price for each cleaning, 



ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY 21 

charging from ten to twenty-five cents according to 
the length of walks and depth of snow. But as 
promises should always be kept, do not secure too 
many customers, for each one must be cared for prop- 
erly. Different people have different kinds of work, 
and a little effort will secure a number of customers. 

Many girls like to do fancy work, but I wonder how 
many have found out that the art of practical darning 
is quite as fascinating! No doubt most girls have 
followed it in designs on linen and found it enjoyable 
and interesting; but when applied to stockings or 
underwear it seems such a homely accomplishment 
that perhaps many have not thought, or cared, to ac- 
quire it, yet it holds good earning possibilities. That 
the mother of a family where there are several pairs 
of restless little feet to clothe would appreciate help in 
this line goes without saying. But the most profit- 
able of this work is found in the darning of silk hose 
and underwear. Many society ladies, as well as busy 
working w^omen and girls, would gladly pay a good 
price to have this work done satisfactorily. It is the 
doing of anything satisfactorily that brings desired 
results. A silk garment of good quality can be made 
almost as good as new by careful darning in time, and 
a great many cannot afford to cast them aside without 
mending. 

In choosing work, it is always wise to select some- 
thing that is really necessary — indispensable, if you 
can manage to get hold of it. If you can make some- 
thing that people are obliged to use every day you will, 



22 ODD WAYS OF EARNING MONEY 

of course, find a more ready sale for your work. 
Darning hose may not be an absolute necessity for 
many women and girls, yet as a matter of economy it 
will appeal to the wise one — and the majority have to 
practice economy. A goodly number may feel that 
they can afford to wear a good quality of silk hose 
and undergarments, but not many feel that they can 
discard them while the greater portion is still whole 
and good; neither have they time, perhaps, to do the 
darning themselves. How welcome, then, is the deft 
darner — how necessary — and how wilhngly she is 
paid the modest sum asked for the service. Any city 
girl can find plenty of darning to occupy her spare 
hours, and she need not often go beyond the limit of 
her friends and acquaintances. 



CHAPTER III 

SELLING LISTS OF NAMES 

There is an opportunity in every city and village, and 
all through the country districts, for boys and girls to 
earn money in connection with the universal campaign 
of bankers to promote thrift and encourage saving. 

For some years banking organizations everywhere 
have been trying to educate young people in habits of 
economy. They do this in a public-spirited way, for 
they realize that it is a national necessity. At the 
same time they naturally and properly gain some bene- 
fit from the effort. It helps the business of savings 
banks, but far more it helps the fortune and character 
of those who come under the influence of the move- 
ment. 

Thousands of boys and girls are needed in this work 
and they can earn quite a large sum every year by re- 
porting to bankers who are most directly interested 
the names of young people who have no savings ac- 
count. That is all the work involved. It is not a 
difficult thing to find out what children or young men 
and women in a community fail to exercise the saving 
habit. The names and addresses are what bankers are 
willing to pay for. 

23 



24 SELLING LISTS OF NAMES 

The price paid for name lists varies, according to 
circumstances. 

Nearly all savings banks supply money receptacles 
and printed matter to all probable patrons and will 
push a telling campaign to promote saving as soon 
as they get the names. In a farming community the 
work may have to be confined to school districts if 
others are doing the same thing, but in a village or 
city a young person making such reports will naturally 
be allowed to get the names wherever they can be 
found. The banks will not pay for duplicates. 

A boy or girl who takes up this task should make 
and keep a complete list of those in the town or neigh- 
borhood who have savings accounts, and another list 
of those who have not started to save. These lists 
will change from year to year and will be in demand 
many times. Such lists will be useful in more ways 
than one. They will have a large money value to the 
person owning them, and instead of being useless after 
the first report they will become more valuable as time 
goes on, provided the necessary changes are made. 

The same list of names that bankers desire will 
also be useful to merchants, especially dealers in toys, 
games, and many other articles for young people. 
While the work is honorable and useful it would not 
be right to sell the information to more than one 
banker in a town, but there are several classes of 
business people who are not in competition that will 
be glad to buy the lists. 

Business people who send goods by mail, including 



SELLING LISTS OF NAMES 25 

merchants, publishers and others, are constantly look- 
ing for new lists of names, and always pay well for 
them. When a boy or girl is making up a list of those 
who do not have savings accounts it is easy to make 
still another list of families in the community to whom 
merchants would like to send circulars or announce- 
ments of some kind. These lists also grow in value, 
and when a young person is known to have them in 
good shape there will be frequent calls for them, with 
an assured gain in earnings every year. About once 
a year they can be sold to merchants in the neighbor- 
hood, for even in a farming community a single year 
brings many changes. Lists of names to be worth 
buying must be accurate, and hence it is necessary to 
keep them up to date. 

Any intelligent boy or girl twelve years old or more 
who lives in a country district can get into this busi- 
ness of furnishing names and do well at it, if the field 
is not already occupied. Political candidates almost 
every year wish the names of all voters in a township 
and pay liberally for accurate lists. Insurance agents, 
real estate dealers, mail order houses, grocers, painters, 
carpenters, masons, and business people generally will 
gladly buy these same lists. There is really a tempting 
opportunity along this line, and it costs little or noth- 
ing to make the effort. 



CHAPTER IV 

USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 

A YOUNG woman now attending an eastern college 
turned her domestic science course taken in the public 
schools into a trip to Europe. Every Saturday morn- 
ing she baked cakes, pies and doughnuts which she 
sold to neighbors who were regular customers. They 
were only too glad to encourage her in this enterprise, 
as well as to have the wholesome home-cooked food 
she prepared. During her summer vacations she em- 
broidered underwear and sold the articles at the regu- 
lar retail prices for such garments. Hers is a case in 
which knowledge of the plain and homely arts led to 
an opportunity for culture and a broader education 
which will be a life-long benefit. 

One Maine boy is working his way through college 
by selling apples. His home is near enough to a col- 
lege town so that he can make deliveries of fruit on 
Saturdays. Each Saturday morning he loads the 
market wagon with apples and drives to the neighbor- 
ing city. By selling directly to the consumer he real- 
izes big profits. Instead of selling at the stores for 50 
cents a bushel he sells at dwellings and receives $1 to 
$1.50. A net profit of from $5 to $10 is realized on 

26 



USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 27 

every load marketed. Not only does he sell apples, 
but poultry and eggs, sausage, butter and other sup- 
plies that he is able to procure at home or in the neigh- 
borhood. He says that farmers lose a lot by not 
marketing their own produce and that many articles 
which are wasted or fed to the stock would bring a 
good price if sold to private customers in town. 

With simple homemade apparatus, any boy or girl 
can place initials or designs on tumblers and other 
glassware, and do it in such a manner that the work 
will compare favorably with that of professional glass 
engravers. 

The only apparatus required is a wooden box about 
8 inches by 5 inches by 12 inches with the bottom re- 
moved and one end hinged. On the inside, four strips 
of thin wood are nailed, so as to form two one-eighth 
inch grooves, exactly opposite each other. Two 
heavy rubber bands with small wire rings attached to 
them are fastened to one side by staples. On the 
other side of the box are two small tacks on which 
to fasten the rings. 

The tumbler or glass piece to be engraved is pre- 
pared by pasting a piece of heavy paper on it, with the 
design or initial cut in it. Then the shape of the glass 
is cut with a sharp knife on a piece of heavy cardboard 
large enough to fit into the groove. When this card- 
board piece is slipped into the groove in the box, place 
the glass in the hole, keep it in position by the rubber 
straps, and you are ready to begin the engraving. 

Be sure that the surface of the glass inside the box, 



28 USING TALENT IN PROFTTABLE WAYS 

that is not to be engraved, is covered with paper. 
Then put into the box a few tablespoon fuls each of 
lead shot and powdered emery. Both of these may 
be procured at any hardware store for a few cents. 
Shut down the cover and holding on to it, shake the 
box vigorously to and fro, for some time. When you 
remove the glass, you will find, on peeling off the 
paper, that the design or initial has been ground into 
the glass by the action of the emery and the lead shot. 
As you shake, the emery is imbedded in the lead, form- 
ing numerous sharp pointed balls which, knocking 
against the glass, grind the design or initial on its sur- 
face. One filling of lead shot and emery will do for 
an indefinite number of engravings. 

Glass engraving could easily be made to furnish 
pocket money for any boy or girl. A little booth with 
several boys or girls equipped with the necessary ap- 
paratus, would prove an attraction at a church fair. 
If it was advertised beforehand, your friends could 
bring their glassware to be engraved. 

A boy or girl can earn pin money by making and 
selling mucilage. Here is a formula for an excellent 
mucilage : Soft water, three ounces ; gum arable, one 
ounce; glycerin, one- fourth of an ounce. The gum 
arable and glycerin can be purchased at a druggist's 
for about 5 cents if you furnish the bottles. Pour 
the three ingredients into a common vessel, such as a 
small tin pail, set the vessel on a stove and stir them 
well with a stick while they heat. When they are well 
mixed put the solution into a large bottle and keep the 



USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 29 

latter corked so that the mucilage will not thicken by 
exposure to the air. If it does thicken, hot water will 
thin it. 

By using the above proportions a larger quantity 
of mucilage may be made in the same manner at one 
time. Before you are sure of your trade it will be 
best not to make up more than double the quantity 
named, which will furnish you with sufficient liquid 
for eight one-ounce bottles. These will usually sell 
at 5 cents each, bringing in, for eight bottles, 40 cents, 
with an outlay of about 12 cents, including bottles. 

The small bottles are filled from the large one, or 
direct from the mixing vessel. If your druggist has 
none of suitable shape to sell you he will generally 
order some for you, as he knows where to get them. 

A girl who was out of health was obliged to give up 
a position she had secured as clerk in a dry-goods store 
and was told by her doctor to keep out of doors as 
much as possible. How to act on this prescription 
and yet help in earning her living, something which 
seemed almost essential considering the financial con- 
dition of her family, was a problem which might have 
puzzled a wiser head. 

Then one day as she walked in the park she stopped 
for a drink at a spring, the water of which had a repu- 
tation. It was deliciously cool and the touch of sul- 
phur it contained was supposed to be healthful. As 
the girl drank luxuriously, she thought she saw a 
chance. 

She visited a number of families living at a con- 



30 USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 

venient distance from one another, asking permission 
to supply them with the sulphur water, a gallon a day 
for twenty-five cents a week, and after a day's canvass 
she had twenty-five families on her list. With them 
she made a start. She hired a decrepit horse and an 
old wagon, bought a number of jugs on which she 
painted the names of the famiHes to which they were 
to be delivered, and started in. Soon enough families 
were on her list so that she was making more than she 
had been earning in the store, after paying her ex- 
penses. Now the business has grown to such propor- 
tions that two younger brothers act as her assistants. 
They own a pair of good horses, and a new wagon, 
and, best of all, the originator of the enterprise is a 
picture of blooming health, due to her outdoor life. 

I read not long ago of a boy of 13 who had $215 in 
the savings bank that he had earned running errands. 
I have heard of another boy who makes a regular busi- 
ness of running errands and has a number of cus- 
tomers. His work pays quite well. He has neat little 
cards giving his name, address and telephone number, 
and it is surprising to see how many people need his 
services and are willing to pay a matter of 25 cents for 
a little shopping errand or some other chore that does 
not take more than an hour. A boy doing this line of 
work needs a bicycle, and when thus equipped he can 
cover a great many miles in a day and do innumerable 
errands about town. Many small shopkeepers would 
be glad to employ such a messenger at odd times, but 
particularly on Saturdays. 



USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 3^ 

Young people who have their minds at work on 
suitable money-niaking plans wnll find that each season 
offers special opportunities. A wide-awake youth liv- 
ing in Chicago says : 

" A good way for a boy to earn money in warm 
weather is to find and sell bait to fishermen. Every 
summer I spend my vacation on the Kankakee River, 
where there are many campers and boarders. I can 
catch any number of minnows in the shallow parts of 
the river and in small streams. These I sell at from 
10 to 20 cents per dozen, according to size. I also 
catch frogs for live-bait casting and sell them at 25 
cents a dozen. 

" When I lived in a little Indiana town, I owned a 
small printing press with which I earned quite a bit 
of money every week, printing stationery, calling cards 
and handbills. A boy of 10 years or more can easily 
clear $100 a year with a printing press." 

Another hustling youth who feels the need of earn- 
ing money to help out family and school expenses, 
tells this story of experience: 

" I bought male and female rabbits from a friend of 
mine. It was not much trouble to care for them, as 
they lived on such vegetables as carrots and lettuce, 
with a little hay. I found them very productive ani- 
mals and in less than a year had sold ten pairs at $1.50 
a pair. I had no trouble in finding customers. I still 
have my original stock and will raise young rabbits 
right along. If I had more room it would be easy to 
get quite an income from them. Besides my rabbits 



32 USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 

I keep a boat, for we live near a lake. This boat I 
rent to fishermen who come here, and last summer I 
cleared $20." 

Florence and Albert live in a New England country 
town that is visited by hundreds of vacationists each 
summer. Here is how they have taken advantage of 
this fact and built up a neat little summer business 
that nets them a good deal of spending money. 

Once a week they visit the various boarding houses 
where the vacationists stay, with baskets of souvenirs. 
These souvenirs are all their own handiwork, made 
during winter spare moments. 

Almost every vacationist takes back to the city one 
of Florence's " Pine Pillows." These are nothing 
but muslin pillowcases, twelve inches by eighteen 
inches, filled with pine needles. They are very fra- 
grant and refreshing and, as Florence says, when sell- 
ing them, " They carry the scent of the summer woods 
to the city." 

The little birch-bark canoes, fitted with pillows and 
paddles, that Albert makes and sells, are very pretty 
souvenirs. They are only six inches long and consist 
of two pieces of birch bark cut in the shape of a canoe 
and stitched together. Two match sticks are glued in 
place for seats and the canoe is fitted with tiny paddles, 
whittled from thin wood. The two little sofa pillows 
that go with each canoe, are the work of Florence. 
They are about the size of a postage stamp, of silk 
cloth and stuffed with cotton. 

Last summer, with some money he had saved up, 



USING TALENT IN PROFITABLE WAYS 33 

Albert purchased a small camera. He snapped the 
most beautiful scenes in and about the town, and de- 
veloped and printed the films himself. Some of the 
pictures were printed up as post cards, while others 
were mounted in neat birch-bark frames. These sold 
rapidly, and when he added the money derived from 
their sale to what he had, he was able to purchase a 
larger camera. With this, he took group pictures of 
the vacationists, collecting the money at the time the 
pictures were taken, and mailing the pictures, when 
they were developed and printed, to the city addresses 
of the vacationists. 

Albert also makes money renting bamboo fishing 
poles and selling bait. He knows where the best fish- 
ing is to be found and often he is hired by a group of 
fishers to spend the day \\ith them and guide them 
about the country. 

This bears out the statement that there are many 
ways of turning an honest penny and building up a 
bank account. Garden work is universal just now, 
and in this line boys and girls can find all the employ- 
ment they wish, either in town or country. There are 
chores innumerable for young people of ambition and 
energy. 



CHAPTER V 

DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 

A NEW business was developed by a bright girl, four- 
teen years old. She saw some azaleas at a friend's 
house. They were the first she had ever seen bloom- 
ing indoors. There were six of them, and when they 
were through blooming she bought them, paying all 
the money she had, $i. She put them in a hotbed and 
afterward in open ground. They grew strong, and in 
the fall she sold them to a florist for $6. 

Getting names of florists and the people who bought 
flowers, she began buying choice plants and nursing 
them back to bloom after they had become old. It 
takes some months to cure a plant which has been 
forced to bloom against nature, but she has learned 
much in six years, and sells thousands of cured plants 
every year. 

One day a boy's grandmother called him up and 
requested him to go to the drug store and get her a 
pound of horehound leaves, as she was going to make 
some cough syrup. 

** Don't let them give you anything but the real 
horehound leaves," she cautioned. 

At the drug store Dick mentioned his grandmother's 

34 



DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 35 

cautioning words, and the druggist picked out three or 
four perfect leaves to show Dick that it was the real 
article. 

" Why," said Dick, " that same stuff grows up 
there by our house on the vacant lot, and out in the 
edge of the street, too." 

" No doubt," replied the druggist. " It has run 
wild from plenty of old gardens in this town. Why 
don't you pick what you have up there and sell it? 
I'd be glad to get the home-grown leaves and be ab- 
solutely sure they were pure. Lots of grandmothers 
like to make their own horehound syrup at home." 

It was still early spring, and Dick went home di- 
rectly after he had delivered his package of horehound 
and looked over the vacant lot. The clumps of hore- 
hound were only just coming through the ground. 
He found it no trouble to get the consent of the owner 
to cultivate the crop, as he lived in a distant part of 
the town. 

- Every big rock, every clump of weeds, and all 
grass and dandelion were removed from the lot and 
in their places clumps of horehound were set, taken 
from the side of the street. He placed plenty of fer- 
tilizer on his patch, and wherever possible, he dug 
slightly about the roots of the big clumps. All the old 
dead stalks were removed from the plants and placed 
in the soil at the roots. 

Dick spent many hours after school on his hore- 
hound patch, and by the middle of June the crop was 
fifteen inches high and ready to cut. He waited till 



36 DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 

after a nice rain, and cut it as soon as it was dry, in 
order to have it clean. He used an ordinary scythe 
to cut the crop, and dried it all day in the sun, then 
spread it out on the clean garret floor for several days 
to thoroughly dry and cure. When ready for sale, he 
had seventy-five pounds of prime horehound, v^hich 
sold to the local druggist at 25 cents a pound. 

A boy or girl can have no more interesting pets 
than the beautiful game pheasants. The little chicks 
they will bring off each spring will be a never-failing 
source of delight as well as substantial profit. There 
is always a good demand for them. 

Autumn is the best time to buy a pair of pheasants, 
for they are always much cheaper when half grown, 
and you can give them a chance to get acquainted with 
you and their new home before the laying and hatch- 
ing season arrives. It is feasible to keep six to a 
dozen pairs for breeding purposes. 

Hon. James Wilson, who was for many years sec- 
retary of agriculture, takes a great interest in teaching 
boys and girls how to make land pay. He would like 
to see more young people studying agriculture than 
there are at present, and he thinks that if boys and 
girls now living in town had a chance to cultivate a 
garden and gain a little profit in this way they would 
learn a great deal that is practical and soon come to 
love farm life. 

Mr. Wilson tells of an experiment that he observed 
where two town boys worked a small tract of land. 
The land was plowed and harrowed at comparatively 



DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 37 

small expense. Not one foot of it was permitted to 
go unused. Not a vacant comer was left for weeds 
to grow in. During the plowing the boys spread ma- 
nure ahead of the plow and got the soil well mixed 
with it. 

When the ground was ready they marked it off into 
thirty beds of different sizes, the size being regulated 
by the character of each vegetable they wished to raise. 
Each bed was raised about four inches from the level 
of the ground and was surrounded by a small walk- 
way and a drainage ditch. The ditch could be used 
for two purposes — to carry off surplus water during 
heavy rains or to hold water during periods of 
drought, acting as an irrigating ditch. 

In the planting the boys started their first crops 
w^th lettuce, onions, radishes, early peas and early 
potatoes. They constantly watched the moistness of 
the soil, did their own weeding and their own bug kill- 
ing. As soon as the vegetables began to head and 
take on form they went from house to house in the 
community announcing that a week later they would 
be prepared to deliver fresh vegetables every morning 
to anyone desiring them. They quoted the same 
prices as local grocers were charging. The day before 
the first sale was made the boys stood financially with 
the half-acre like this: 

Cash invested $24.85 

Indebtedness incurred 18.10 

Total investment, not counting own labor $42.95 



38 DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 

They had learned by study and inquiry, while doing 
the early work, what vegetables should be pulled in 
the cool of the night, and what just after the dawn. 
They knew which would wilt quickly and which would 
keep their freshness long. They rose that first morn- 
ing of the sale at 2 o'clock, and under the stars, went 
to the half-acre. They had built a little shanty in 
one corner and here they had tubs of cool water, trim- 
ming knives, dirt scrapers, different colored tissue 
paper, and cheap ribbon bands. 

They drew the vegetables in their proper order, 
carefully examining each for perfectness. If they 
found a defective one, it was thrown into a bucket to 
be kept for chicken feed, or if not fit for that, to be 
mashed up and worked back into the ground as fer- 
tilizer. Every individual piece was washed and 
trimmed and given a thorough cooling and hardening 
in the water. Then the vegetables were wrapped in 
bundles of suitable sizes and tied with the ribbons. 
Onions, radishes, lettuce, were treated in the same 
manner. 

They were then placed in baskets, loaded on a hand- 
cart which they had constructed and with which they 
went from house to house. They first supplied those 
who had agreed to purchase. The terms were strictly 
cash, no credit, and this was absolutely right. When 
they finished with these families they went to others. 
The new and novel appearance of the fresh vegeta- 
bles, so clean, so tastefully put up, attracted many. 



DEVELOPING A xNEW BUSINESS 39 

Before 9 o'clock they had completely sold out and had 
almost $10. 

Through the early summer months the boys kept 
quietly at their work. They were not content with 
one crop. They found that as soon as one garden 
plot was used up a second crop of similar nature or a 
crop of something new could be made to grow on it. 
Their vegetables kept up the highest standard of fresh- 
ness and cleanliness the community had ever known, 
and the partners soon had more customers than they 
could supply. 

Oct. I they covered the land with manure and left 
it to rest during the long winter months. Then they 
sat down to examine their financial standing. It was 
as follows : 

Investment and all expenses $ 75-58 

Total cash receipts 219.05 

Profit over expenses 143-47 

Each partner's share 71-73 

This is not an enormous profit, but a fine one added 
to the health and knowledge the boys gained. This 
was in 19 10. In 191 1 they increased their land area 
to one acre and cleared up more than $400 during the 
season. They worked three acres in 19 12, which paid 
them $950 net. 

There is not a waste piece of fertile land in the 
United States that any boy can not work out with the 
same results if he is looking for work and profit. 

One bright boy gives this experience : " I am a 



40 DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 

farm boy 13 years old, and as a side line to farming 
run a number of traps from the first of November 
until spring. Neighbors are willing to let me go on 
their land as I have needed to extend my operations. 
All farmers are glad to have such animals as mink, 
muskrat and skunks killed. Last winter I cleared 
$76 and intend to increase this to double the amount. 

'*' In the spring I start early vegetable plants and 
sell them for good prices. Last year I had a little 
plot of popcorn, which in December and January I 
made into sugared pops and sold at profitable prices." 

Another enterprising country boy, relates the fol- 
lowing: 

'' I live on a 90-acre farm, forty miles from a good 
market. I have fifty pairs of pigeons, which have 
their nests above the first floor of the chicken house. 
Every month excepting two months in the winter, I 
get a pair of young pigeons from nearly every parent 
pair. For these squabs I average a little better than 
$1.50 a dozen. I made $124 last year in this way. 
This was above the value of their food. Pigeons are 
easily kept. They thrive on wheat and corn, with 
such things as boiled potatoes, bran mash and the 
leavings from the family table. Any boy or girl in 
the country, or even with a good-sized lot in town, can 
raise squabs and clear quite a little money every year. 
It is easy to work up a nice trade among the hotels and 
restaurants. Any surplus can always be sold to gro- 
cers or produce dealers." 

A niece and nephew of mine once sold dahlia bulbs 



DEVELOPING A NEW BUSINESS 41 

from their own garden at seventy-live cents to a dollar 
a dozen. They were working with their Sunday 
school classes to pay a church debt, and such ready 
profits proved a very quick and easy method. Dahlias 
multiply rapidly and the roots may be cut into several 
different plants, so that such a business is all clear 
gain. 



CHAPTER VI 

HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 

Young people who are looking for money-making op- 
portunities may establish a regular candy-making 
trade. There is a constant demand for home-made 
candies, and in a few weeks a reputation may be 
gained for the production of pure and wholesome 
goods. 

Quite frequently we hear of people who have se- 
cured a living income by this means. Part of the 
success comes from finding customers and delivering 
the candy in tasty boxes. For this reason a girl can 
have her brother or any congenial friend as a partner 
in the business. Suitable boxes cost anywhere from i 
cent to lo cents each, and, of course, this item of ex- 
pense must be considered in fixing the price on the 
confections. 

There is nothing mysterious or difficult about 
candy-making, and one advantage that a beginner 
has is the keen demand everywhere for the home-made 
product. This makes it easy to find customers. If 
a young woman likes the business she can find bakers 
and grocers who will sell her candy on commission. 
In this way a large and profitable trade can be worked 

42 



HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 43 

Up. Naturally it pays best to make a batch every day 
and to have the whole thing on a systematic basis. 

To get the real French cream fondant put a half- 
pint of cold water in the candy kettle, then stir in two 
pounds or a quart measure level full of fine granulated 
sugar and place over a steady heat. Stir the sugar 
gently to prevent scorching until completely dissolved. 
Then add one- fourth teaspoonful of cream of tartar or 
three drops of acetic acid. As soon as the syrup be- 
gins to boil dip a brush in cold water and carefully 
wash down the granulated syrup gathered on the sides 
of the kettle. Cover closely and let it steam for a 
minute or two. Do not disturb the syrup, but let it 
boil steadily and evenly. 

When a little of the hot syrup dropped in cold water 
can be gathered into a soft lump between the thumb 
and finger the kettle should be removed from the fire. 
Turn the contents out on a marble slab or china plat- 
ter to cool. When quite cold stir with a wooden spoon 
into a thick, creamy mass, then w^ork with the hands 
until it is perfectly smooth and will not stick to the 
fingers. Let it stand twenty-four hours in a stone jar 
covered with a damp cloth, when it will be ready for 
molding into creams. 

For French creams always use the best of flavor- 
ings. No matter how well creams are made if they 
are not nicely flavored they will not be good candies. 
With a pure flavoring they will require only a few 
drops, and a small quantity will last a long time. 
Color paste made from vegetable and fruit coloring 



44 HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 

is not expensive, and if delicately used adds a dainty 
touch to creams. This should be worked into the 
candy with the flavoring just before molding. It 
is an easy matter to have a variety of shapes in mold- 
ing creams. Decorations, such as nut meats, halves 
of candied cherries, pieces of citron, etc., are pressed 
in or laid on top while the creams are moist. Fruit 
creams are made by putting stoned dates, candied 
cherries, white grapes and seedless raisins into small 
balls of the French cream flavored with vanilla. 

For chocolate-coated creams cut the chocolate into 
small pieces and place in a bowl over hot water. A 
small double boiler is best for this purpose. If the 
bitter chocolate is used sweeten it with a little fine 
sugar. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the hot 
water when the product is melted and stand until cool. 
Then dip the creams in one at a time, using a stiff wire 
bent into a small loop at one end. Place the completed 
candy on oilcloth or paraffin paper to harden. When 
the chocolate in the bowl begins to thicken warm it 
again. Before dipping these creams they must be 
allowed to dry after molding, or they will lose their 
shape. 

A delicious coffee cream may be made in the same 
way by using a half-pint of clear, black coffee instead 
of water. For a nice maple cream use a pint of pure 
maple syrup, a fourth pint of water, a cupful of gran- 
ulated sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar, following 
the directions as given for French cream. 

An excellent chocolate fudge is made by working into 



HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 45 

French cream enough melted bitter chocolate to suit 
the taste, or the cream may be softened in a double 
boiler over hot water, and the melted chocolate added. 
A little melted butter stirred in with the chocolate will 
make a richer fudge. This can be turned into small 
pasteboard boxes lined with paraffin paper and left 
until firm, then turned out and cut into squares or 
bars. 

The common molasses candy is easily made, and in 
selling it at 20 or 25 cents a pound there is a liberal 
profit. Regular customers can be secured in the 
neighborhood. The finer candies will sell for 30 to 
50 cents a pound. Home-made confections are in 
such demand that store prices may be charged. Some- 
body in nearly every family knows what candy is 
worth. 

Then there are other kinds of candy which ama- 
teurs can manage with good results. Crystallized 
fruit and cocoanut creams are tempting confectionery 
and add variety to the business. 

For the molasses candy take three cups of granu- 
lated sugar, pour on a quarter of a cup of water and 
let it dissolve slowly over the fire. After it has boiled 
for some minutes add a cup of molasses, pouring very 
slowly, and constantly stirring. Let this boil up, and 
then add another half cup of molasses. Stir occasion- 
ally as the candy boils, so as to prevent sticking or 
burning. After a little add a teaspoonful of cider 
vinegar. Pour it in slowly and stir thoroughly. 
Just before removing from the fire add a little vanilla 



46 HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 

flavoring and pour on buttered pans. A delicious ad- 
dition to this candy is made by crushing peanuts to 
a powder and stirring it into the hot syrup. 

For crystalHzed fruit boil two cups of granulated 
sugar with a cup of water and one-fourth of a tea- 
spoonful of cream of tartar. Test it by dropping a 
little of the hot syrup into cold water. When it be- 
comes brittle and snaps it may be removed from the 
fire. Drop into this sections of orange from which 
all the skin has been removed, white grapes, cherries, 
bits of pineapple, nuts — in short, almost anything 
your fancy suggests. Spread on waxed paper to 
harden. 

For cocoanut creams mix two cups of granulated 
sugar with one-half cup of milk, and allow this to heat 
slowly until the sugar is melted. Boil five minutes 
and then add one cup of grated cocoanut. Boil ten 
minutes, stirring constantly, and pour into buttered 
plates. This candy takes two days to harden and 
should be set in a cool place where the dust can not 
reach it. 

If you are going to make fudge, you want a good 
recipe, and here is one which you would know to be 
delicious even without tasting it. Put into a granite 
saucepan a pound of brown sugar and a cup of cream. 
If you do not live on a farm, the cup of cream may not 
be forthcoming, and in that case a cup of rich milk 
will do very well. Stir till the sugar has melted, then 
boil, stirring as little as possible, till a spoonful of the 



HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 47 

syrup dropped into cold water hardens sufficiently so 
that a soft ball can be made of it. Now add a piece 
of butter the size of an English walnut and a teaspoon- 
ful of vanilla extract. Now with a wooden spoon 
beat the mixture vigorously. While the candy is 
cooking you should have prepared a buttered pan, the 
bottom covered with a half pound of walnuts, cut into 
rather small pieces. When the candy cracks as you 
beat it, pour it over the nuts, and cut into squares be- 
fore it has a chance to harden. 

Marshmallows are always popular confections, 
though they require rather more work than many. 
Add a teacup of coffee to three ounces of gelatine, and 
after the gelatine has become moist, place over the 
fire until it is quite dissolved. In another pan boil 
a large cup of sugar with a small cup of water, and a 
dessertspoonful of glucose, if you have the latter 
handy. If not, add more sugar. When this has be- 
come a thick syrup, pour it in with the dissolved gela- 
tine, and mix thoroughly. After the mixture has 
cooled so there will be no danger of boiling the egg, 
add the white of an egg beaten stiff and continue beat- 
ing the whole for some minutes. Allow the candy to 
cool in the pan, and when hardened set it on the stove 
for a minute, when it will easily turn out upon a slab. 
This should cut nicely into cakes which should be 
rolled in powdered sugar. 

Various other kinds of candy may be worked into 
this project, according to demand and other circum- 



48 



HOME-MADE CANDIES PAY WELL 



stances. Young people have a natural aptitude for 
this line of work, and those who feel sure of being 
able to find a few customers among their friends need 
not hesitate about trying the experiment. 



CHAPTER VII 

BASKETRY INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE 

An excellent opportunity for money-earning is offered 
to young people in the present universal demand for 
reed baskets. Basket making has become something 
more than a fad, because it represents a high degree of 
usefulness. The new reed baskets are pretty and serv- 
iceable, are easily made by young people and sell read- 
ily at a fair profit. 

To begin with, boys and girls should get a few 
sample cards of the reeds which are being sold in the 
larger department stores and by some dealers in plants 
and flowers. A canvass from house to house with 
these samples will result in a large and general sale of 
the reeds themselves. After this business has been 
carried on for a few weeks it may be best to turn to 
making and selling baskets. There is a great differ- 
ence in the prices which dealers are charging for reeds, 
and it will be well to find a house that will give a rea- 
sonably low wholesale rate. Then about 25 per cent, 
should be added to allow a profit for the trouble of 
selling. By going at this matter carefully boys and 
girls can sell the baskets at the lowest market prices 
and still make money rapidly. 

49 



50 BASKETRY INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE 

The pretty little reed baskets which ladies are mak- 
ing are wanted in every household. They are a nov- 
elty just now and being both useful and ornamental, 
they will have wide popularity. A young person can 
make a basket with 5 cents' worth of reeds and sell it 
for 30 cents. The work does not take more than a 
couple of hours. Housekeepers who are too busy to 
go into the matter themselves will gladly pay boys and 
girls all the way from 20 cents to $1 for an assortment 
of baskets, and at the prevailing prices money can be 
made quite fast. 

It might help the business along to have two or 
three tasty little baskets to show from house to house 
when selling reeds. These baskets could be sold out- 
right or orders taken for others. 

Young folks will find that basketry is an interesting 
occupation and one which can be made to pay well if 
carried on intelligently from making to marketing of 
the articles. The art is not difficult to acquire. Even 
little folks of kindergarten age will take readily to the 
manufacture of pretty little baskets. 

The attractive products can be utilized for various 
purposes. There is the fair sized basket, lined with a 
few pockets, which will serve to hold the weekly mend- 
ing. A smaller basket is handy for the thread, 
needles and other sewing implements. Then too, 
when fruit or flowers are to be carried to an invalid 
what daintier receptacle could be found for the pur- 
pose than a pretty hand-made basket lined with ferns 
or leaves as a background for the offering? Birth- 



BASKETRY INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE 51 

day or Christmas candy coming in such a container is 
doubly welcome to the recipient, so you see there is a 
wide field for the ambitious boy or girl to distribute 
these wares at a fair profit. 

Materials used in basket making are reed, raffia, 
rattan, rush, willow and sometimes grasses where they 
are obtainable. However, reed and raffia are usually 
given the preference, being both inexpensive and easy 
to handle. 

Nippers, pliers and an awl are the tools required for 
this occupation, but these are not absolutely essential, 
as they can be replaced by a pair of sharp shears, a 
keen-edged knife and a large knitting needle. 

For the beginner it is advisable to use the round reed 
until a certain amount of proficiency in weaving has 
been attained, after which the splint work may be 
taken up. Reed is sold in various sizes from number 
I to 15. Number i makes up into dainty articles but 
is a trifle more expensive than number 2, which is used 
quite extensively. 

The reed should be soaked for twenty minutes in 
hot water or about an hour in cold water. However, 
if the material has not become pliable in this time, al- 
low it to soak longer. 

Should one desire to make colored articles the better 
plan is to dye the reed before weaving. It is advis- 
able to wear rubber gloves while engaged in this 
branch of the work which, while it is an important 
one, is not so difficult as one might think. 

Vegetable dyes are obtainable at any place where 



52 BASKETRY INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE 

the materials for the weaving of baskets are sold. 
Full directions are printed on each package and are 
easily followed. Glaring colors are not considered 
the best for this work; the softer, duller tones blend 
better and are more pleasing to the eye. If the mod- 
ern vegetable dyes are used, the material must be 
soaked for a period of from eight to nine hours in 
what is termed a '' fixing bath." This is a solution 
of one ounce of alum and one quart of water. The 
same dye can be used several times with success if care 
is taken to keep it free from dust and other foreign 
matter. The article should be colored quite deeply as 
when dry the dye is much lighter than when wet. 
Dyes used for cotton or woolen goods give good re- 
sults. 

To realize that there is a continual market for bas- 
ketry one has merely to note the fact that there are 
large factories in different parts of the country where 
a great many people are employed turning out all kinds 
and sizes of baskets, ornamental and useful. There 
are large stores which sell thousands of them every 
year. So long as this is the case there will be an op- 
portunity for boys and girls to get into the business. 
The sale is not confined to any one season, but is 
steady the year through, every household being a pos- 
sible market for from one to a dozen. Young people 
need have no fear about accumulating a stock of 
baskets. If they have fifty or one hundred ahead for 
the Easter season or the holidays they wall find the 
demand is sufficient to take their whole supply. In 



BASKETRY INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE 53 

fact the only way to make money fast and steadily is 
to keep pushing the manufacture, making it a means 
of using up spare time. The selling will not be diffi- 
cult to manage. 



CHAPTER VIII 

RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 

Raffia and reed work are much alike. Raffia is ob- 
tainable in almost any color for a few cents more 
than the natural. This being the case it is as well 
to eliminate the home dyeing process essential with 
reed work. Raffia is usejd in the dry state. Unlike 
reed, it comes in one size only and when a finer grade 
of work is desired the fibre must be split. This is 
usually done for the smaller articles such as picture 
frames, shoe bags, hair receivers, evening bags, etc. 
For a picture frame, the size and shape required must 
be formed of cardboard, then the raffia is wound 
smoothly and evenly around the form. The edge 
may be bound with a ribbon leaving a loop to hang it 
by. 

Raffia boxes of all sorts take well. Cut cardboard 
the required size and shape for top and bottom of the 
box, and a strip long and wide enough for the sides. 
A round box would be simpler for a beginner. Punch 
a small hole in the center of the top and bottom cir- 
cles. Wrap the raffia closely from edge to middle 
until the cardboard is completely covered. Now sew 
the ends of the side strip together, taking care that 

54 



RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 55 

the circle is exactly the size of the top and bottom of 
the box. Proceed to wrap with the raffia. Sew the 
side circle firmly to the base and fasten the lid in two 
places with ribbon bows. Line the box with silk to 
match the ribbon and you will have turned out an ac- 
ceptable piece of work. 

Another article both useful and ornamental is the 
table mat, or a set of them. The raffia is first braided 
by the yard, then sewed in circular or oblong form 
until the desired size of plaque has been made. Mats 
may be entirely of one color or each strand in the 
braid may be different. Two pieces of material 
should be taken for each strand in the braid as one 
is not heavy enough. 

A conventional design outlined with raffia on heavy 
burlap makes an attractive porch cushion. These are 
quite acceptable to the busy housekeeper who has little 
time for fancy work, but who desires to have her 
porch look pretty during the summer months. 

An ordinary glass finger bowl may be transformed 
into a flower bowl when covered with woven reed or 
raffia. A hanging basket evolved from either of these 
materials lends another distinctive feature to the sum- 
mer porch. Little baskets, round or square, padded 
and silk-lined, make novel jewel cases and are also 
dainty as luncheon favors when filled with salted nuts 
or bon-bons. With slipper soles as a foundation, a 
nice pair of sandals can be turned out by a clever 
weaver. 

When girls go picnicking the hat of raffia is wel- 



56 RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 

corned as serviceable headgear. A wire shape may 
be selected and the wires wrapped carefully with the 
shade or shades of material desired, then work from 
the center of the crown outward, using the wire ribs 
as spokes. Weave the raffia closely and fasten by 
tacking to the wire with thread the color of the hat. 
The edge of the brim may either be bound with ribbon 
or buttonholed with raffia. These hats will be wel- 
comed by many girls who have neither the time nor 
patience to make them. One worn a few times by 
the girl with an eye to business will result in many 
orders. 

Now just a word or two regarding the selling of 
the finished product. A good plan would be to visit 
the larger establishments, and take note of their prices 
on articles of this sort. Then figure the cost of your 
material and labor, and endeavor to sell at the lowest 
market price, at the same time holding forth the in- 
ducement of goods made to order and delivered. 

Many private customers can be found by canvass- 
ing among friends and neighbors who will be glad 
to lay in a stock of these pretty, useful things for 
Christmas. A few purchases of this sort will relieve 
many a tired housekeeper of the inconvenience of 
pushing her way through a crowd of shoppers, un- 
decided as to what she wants and often returning 
home with unsatisfactory selections, hastily made and 
entirely unsuitable. These dainty baskets are the most 
appropriate sort of Christmas presents, acceptable and 
highly prized everywhere. Boys and girls manufactur- 



RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 57 

ing these goods will ordinarily find all the patronage 
necessary among friends, but should there be a surplus 
stock it can easily be disposed of at shops where the 
demand for this line of goods will be quite keen for 
at least a month or two before Christmas, with liberal 
profits resulting. 

Naturally girls prefer to work on the smaller, 
daintier articles and usually excel in this branch of 
basketry, while the boys would rather handle the 
heavier grades such as clothes hampers and market 
baskets. This is also an ideal occupation for the in- 
valid whose hands are not affected. The small 
articles appeal to either sex in this condition and are 
easily disposed of. The time spent working with the 
pretty reed and raffia will serve to shorten and brighten 
the hours to a great extent. Long evenings when 
summer is over will be a good time to add to the stock 
of articles for the Christmas trade. 

If one is successful in disposing of the smaller 
articles, as undoubtedly will be the case, the inclina- 
tion will be to branch into the manufacture of larger 
things. Rugs are a good beginning. Of course a 
loom will be required. This can be purchased or made 
at home as desired. If made at home a square of 
cardboard, or bristol board such as painters use will 
do. Draw- a line over half an inch from the bottom 
and top edges. Make dots along each line from one 
quarter to one half inch apart. Make a hole through 
each dot. A piece of stiff wire should be run from 
the top dot on the right side to the opposite one on the 



58 RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 

bottom row and the same at the left side of the card- 
board. A large needle will be required for this work. 
Thread with raffia and sew from back of right top 
hole to front of right bottom hole, then bring the 
needle to the front again through the next bottom hole 
and draw the raffia up to the opposite top hole again 
pushing the needle through to the back of the rug. 
If this procedure is strictly followed the loom will be 
covered with horizontal lines of raffia. Now, in the 
old-fashioned darning stitch sew back and forth across 
the board, looping the raffia over each side wire as a 
turn is made. As the work goes on be sure to keep 
it close by gently pushing upward as each row of 
darning is finished. Later on two or more tones may 
be combined. These too make useful adjuncts for 
the summer porch. 

A screen also could be successfully turned out if 
the rug pattern is followed, except that the raffia 
could be wound around the wooden frames without 
going to the trouble of making a loom. Sometimes 
there is an old screen about the place which would be- 
come an ornament instead of a nuisance if treated in 
this manner. When a neighbor noticed the handi- 
work she might be moved to bring forth an old screen 
frame of her own which she would like furbished up 
a bit. 

A word may be said about splint work. A descrip- 
tion of the making of some of this work will probably 
help. Let us begin with a square basket. Cut a num- 
ber of splints into eighteen inch lengths and have them 



RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 59 

very narrow. See that there are enough of these strips 
to measure seven inches when laid side by side on a 
flat surface, just far enough apart to allow a weaver 
to go between. Start from the middle and weave 
under and over alternately so that the finished work 
will have the appearance of a checker board. This 
effect can be accentuated by the use of two colors. 
The bottom of the basket should be seven inches each 
way. This leaves five and one half inches for the side 
height. Bend the side splints up, moistening them if 
necessary, and weave until the basket is complete. 
The top may be finished outside and inside with a 
narrow strip of splint which in turn is wound with 
splint binding. This basket is quite pretty in two or 
more colors. 

For a splint wall pocket, take the same number and 
size of splints as for the basket. Lay them side by 
side as before. Weave a row or two exactly in the 
center, then dampen and bend the sides upward. Con- 
tinue weaving and finish the top like that of the basket. 
You will now have a flat wall pocket. These articles 
may vary in size according to the use for which they 
are intended. 

And now for the caning of chairs, an occupation 
which will chiefly appeal to boys, although some girls 
take to it quite readily. Cane comes in bundles like 
reed. It is not numbered but simply designated as 
coarse, fine, etc. 

All cane close to the wood should be carefully cut 
away from the chair to be recaned. Clean out all the 



6o RAFFIA WARES BRING PROFITS 

holes. Start in the center. From the center hole in 
the lower row to the opposite one in the upper row 
stretch a piece of cane which has been previously 
soaked a short time. Fasten the cane in each hole 
with pegs, allowing a short length to hang below the 
seat. Continue working from center to right side, 
then from center to left side until a vertical row of 
cane is fastened from front to back on the seat. Turn 
the chair around and start in the center as before, 
keeping the cane loose. When this is done the seat 
should be full of tiny holes. Understand the cane has 
not been woven, simply crossed. Now begin the 
weaving process, under and over from corner to cor- 
ner, then turn and weave from opposite corners. 
When finished, lay a flat piece of binding cane over 
the edge of the holes and fasten it in place by means 
of a narrow strip of cane threaded through every 
second hole and passed over the binding. An ener- 
getic boy who is not afraid to ask people if they have 
repair work of this sort to do will be sure to get one 
or two commissions to begin with. After this if the 
work is done well his services are more than likely to 
be in demand. 



CHAPTER IX 

MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

Girls will be astonished when they come to make a 
list of the many unique household articles which will 
help to bring them an income. Hand-made novelties 
for birthday or holiday gifts are always in favor and 
thousands of busy women will gladly pay liberal prices 
to young people who can furnish a supply of such 
articles. 

ROSE BEADS 

Rose beads and chains are among the popular nov- 
elties which enable young people to earn money. 
Whether it can be called a fad or not the manufacture 
of rose bead chains has become almost universal, and 
in money-making possibilities it is much like reed bas- 
ket work. 

I know a number of young people who began mak- 
ing rose beads and chains last summer, and established 
a good business. They are excellent for filling in 
spare time and making it profitable. Nearly every 
woman has a strong liking for these novelties, which 
make suitable presents, and are tasteful articles of 
adornment. A common price is $2 for a 15-inch 

61 



62 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

chain. Some people prefer to string the beads them- 
selves, and in that case the beads sell for 5 cents apiece. 
These chains can be varied considerably by mixing 
colored beads. 

Boys and girls who have a patch of ground either 
in city or country, or who know where to gather 
roses, can pick up considerable money in the way sug- 
gested. From almost any greenhouse owner, rose 
petals can be obtained for nothing, thus adding to the 
stock which is gathered from the garden and field. 

Take fresh rose petals of all colors, but preferably 
dark ones, and grind them through a food chopper a 
number of times. Then set them away in a kettle for 
twenty-four hours. This pulp is then to be fried in 
vaseline a few moments. The vaseline seems to make 
the product darker and it keeps the mass soft and 
workable. It enables the pulp to be rolled into shiny 
balls. 

Make these balls a little larger than what is de- 
sired for beads, because they shrink somewhat. They 
are to be strung on wires and allowed to harden for 
a few weeks before being made up into chains. It 
will be found that the money received is nearly all 
profit, the stock costing next to nothing. Vaseline is 
one of the cheapest of products and the expense of 
using it on the ground rose petals amounts to little 
when the value of the chain is considered. As these 
goods are in best demand for Christmas gifts a little 
canvassing should be done in the fall and early winter 
to secure customers. 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 63 



COVER FOR PINCUSHION 

Practical pincushions are not always to be found in 
every girl's room. Here is the way to make one that 
is extremely pretty and dainty, and may be made to 
match other pretty things in her room, and at the same 
time it can be laundered when soiled, and be as fresh 
and pretty as ever. Take white linen, and cut in two 
oval pieces. These should measure about four and 
one-quarter by seven and one-quarter inches after the 
edges are embroidered in scallops. In the center of 
one piece, embroider whatever initial may be desired, 
with some little design, for the top of the cushion. 
W^ork eyelet holes about three-quarters of an inch 
apart all around both pieces, in which to run ribbon 
to fasten the pieces together. The cushion for the 
inside may be made of similarly shaped pieces of cot- 
ton, stuffed with wool. 

LAWN APRON 

Something new in aprons is hard to find, but this 
pretty little work apron is dainty and useful, if not 
entirely new in design. It is made of white lawn or 
voile, which has a striped design of tiny pink roses or 
other flowers. It is made in two parts. The front 
section is shaped like a quarter-moon and forms the 
pockets. The top of this shaped piece should be fin- 
ished with a very narrow^ hem, done by hand, and 
edged with a frill of narrow lace. The two sections 
of the apron are then sewed together on the wrong 



64 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

side around the outside edge, and after turning right 
side out — f eatherstitched down the center of the front 
to form the two pockets. Finish the edges of the 
whole apron with the lace, and also the ends of the 
strings. Gather the apron into a belt, having it quite 
full, and place pink satin bows at each side. This is a 
very attractive little apron, and when finished should 
measure about twenty- four inches in depth, and 
twenty-eight inches in width. This size requires one 
and a quarter yards of thirty-six-inch material, and 
five yards of lace. 

UNIQUE SEWING BOX 

To make an odd little sewing box take eight pieces 
of cardboard, four of them covered with cretonne or 
silk, or any desired material, for the outside, and the 
remaining four covered with some pretty harmonizing 
material for a lining. The cardboard pieces should be 
triangular in shape, measuring seven inches on each 
side. Before the lining sections are sewed to the out- 
side sections, the various little pockets and sewing con- 
veniences should be made and attached to the lined 
sides. Make small shirred pockets drawn up with 
elastic bands on two sides, and stretch a narrow band 
of elastic across the third side for the scissors and 
bodkin, etc., and on the bottom attach a pincushion. 
This little cushion is made of the same material as the 
lining, being a circle of silk gathered over some wool, 
and divided in sections by strong embroidery silk 
brought up through the center, and drawn down tightly 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 65 

over the outside, and fastened each time. Attach rib- 
bon hinges to the bottom piece and the side which 
opens, and two pieces of ribbon at the points which 
will be the top of the box, for fastening together when 
closed. Now oversew the lining sections to the out- 
side sections, making a pyramid-shaped box leaving 
one side free except at the bottom, for opening. 

TWINE BAG 

A twine bag which is real Christmasy in design and 
color! It is made of light green linen, embroidered 
in a holly design with dark green and bright red, and 
bright red satin ribbon is used for the drawstring. 
A ball of red twine is designed to go inside, and the 
end of same to come out in a tiny hole left in the bot- 
tom of the bag. This pretty little bag is made of three 
pieces, all cut the same shape and size, measuring three 
and one-half inches by four and one-half inches. 
Allow half an inch at the top for a hem in which to 
run the drawstring. 

These bags are very inexpensive, and are very ac- 
ceptable little gifts. 

WORKBASKET 

Here is a workbasket that is a little different from 
the ordinary run of workbaskets, as it is made of velvet 
which lends a pretty softness that is very attractive. 
Any shade of velvet as desired, may be used for the 
outside covering, having the lining of the basket har- 
monize in soft silk or brocade. A pretty combination 



66 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

is of golden brown velvet with yellow silk or brocade 
for lining. To make it take pieces of cardboard and 
cut with one side rounded, and the opposite side a 
trifle narrower, for the sides of the basket. For the 
bottom one piece of cardboard measuring three and 
one-quarter inches square is used. The side pieces 
should measure about four and one-half inches across 
the widest part at the top, three and one-quarter inches 
at the bottom, and be three and five-eighths inches from 
top to bottom. The velvet is sewed over cardboard, 
and the lining over corresponding pieces of cardboard, 
and before these two parts are oversewed together, 
attach two pockets of the silk on two lining sides. Use 
elastic in the shirring at the top edges, and sew two 
strips of yellow satin ribbon across a third side for 
bodkins or scissors. Attach a needle book made of 
the silk, to the fourth side. Sew ribbons on the side 
pieces to tie them together, and then place the lining 
sections on the velvet-covered ones, and oversew the 
edges together. The bottom is attached to the sides 
by hinges made of heavy silk floss. 

A PRETTY WORKBAG 

Workbags are always in demand, no matter how 
many a girl may have around her room, but sub- 
stantial ones are not always to be had. Here is one 
that will be found very pretty as well as useful. Five 
sweet-grass mats are used, one for the bottom, and 
four for the sides. These mats come in all sizes, 
from four inches in diameter up to eight or ten inches. 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 67 

The five-inch mats make a very convenient sized bag. 
The four side mats are oversewed to the bottom one 
where they touch, and they are tied together where 
they meet at the sides, with narrow ribbon. The bag 
that goes inside the mats should be made of a pretty 
soft silk or cloth that harmonizes with the soft green 
of the sweet grass, such as yellow, green, old rose or 
heliotrope, and, of course, the ribbon used for tying 
should be in harmony, as well. The silk bag should 
be gathered into a circular bottom somewhat smaller 
than the bottom mat. For the five-inch mats, the bag 
would require a piece of silk about ten by twenty 
inches, which allow^s for a heading and casing at the 
top. 

ATTRACTIVE BOOK ENDS 

Book ends are almost a necessity on the library 
table in the living room, if one expects to preserve any 
kind of order among the many books that are usually 
adorning a table around which a family gathers to 
read. There is one that can be made with but little 
cost, and at the same time be very attractive. It can 
be made of material to carry out any color scheme or 
design that may be desired to harmonize with the fur- 
nishings of the room, and can be made of crash 
stenciled or embroidered in the different shades of 
blue. For the foundation, have a tinsmith cut two 
pieces of tin, each measuring six and one-half inches 
by eight and a half inches. Bend up one end of each 
piece about three inches, making the upright part 



68 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

measure six and one-half inches across, and five and 
one-half inches from top to bottom. Take pieces of 
crash which have been embroidered or stenciled, hav- 
ing them cut plenty large enough to cover both sides 
of the tins, and allowing plenty to turn in at the edges, 
which are oversewed together after inserting the tins. 

POCKET FOR DUSTERS 

Many steps may be saved by the busy housekeeper, 
if dustcloths are near at hand, but unless there is some 
place to keep these cloths where they will be out of 
sight, they are not likely to be very handy. When 
there is a closet in a room, one can hang a pocket for 
dusters, or sometimes even right out in the room, in 
some corner where it would not be very conspicuous, a 
pretty pocket would not be unsightly. To make a 
pocket, take a piece of cretonne or art ticking, or any 
other washable material that one may desire, cutting 
it about ten inches wide, and about twenty-three inches 
long, shaping one end to a point. Double the piece 
over and sew together with tape, so as to form a bag 
the shape of an envelope. Place a small, brass ring 
at the point for hanging. This makes a bag about ten 
by fourteen inches from point to bottom, at the back, 
with a front of nine by ten inches. For dusters, 
cheesecloth is preferable, and they are very pretty 
featherstitched around with mercerized cotton, if one 
has the time. This is very nice work to be done in 
the shade of the porch on summer days. Or if one 
does not care to put that much work on them, they look 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 69 

very pretty simply hemmed by machine. One yard 
square makes a good-sized duster. 

SKIRT HANGERS 

A pretty and easily made article for which there 
is a demand is a skirt hanger. The plain hanger can 
be bought at any ten-cent store, in two lengths. Pad 
the wooden slats that spring together for holding the 
skirt, by binding them about with sheet wadding into 
which has been sprinkled a liberal supply of sachet 
powder; then cover them smoothly with ribbon of 
sufficient width to reach around the padded slat easily 
and overcast the edges together at the top. Cover 
the hook by winding closely with number five ribbon 
of the same shade as the wider, or any harmonizing 
color desired. Hide the wooden roll holding the wires 
with a full bow of the wider ribbon, allowing the loops 
to droop over and hide the wires where the slides 
work. The larger size requires three yards of wider 
ribbon — unless a more elaborate bow is desired — 
and one and one-half yards of the narrow. These 
hangers sell at $1 to $1.50, and there is a fair profit 
on them. 

DRESS PROTECTORS 

Dress protectors can be made of three yards of soft 
cretonne or silkaline. Fold material double and 
round the corners of folded end to fit a sloping coat 
hanger. Sew selvage edges and rounded corners to- 
gether, respectively. Make a twelve inch opening at 
the top, and bind this slit with ribbon wide enough to 



70 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

make the opening dust-proof, when the garment is in 
the protector. A draw string run through the bind- 
ing will make the protector fit more closely to the 
handle of the coat or skirt hanger which is within. 
Put a hem in the bottom and ribbon ties to fasten the 
two pieces together. 

NAPKIN CASES 

From a sanitary standpoint, napkin cases are an 
absolute necessity in a boarding-house, and in a large 
family such conveniences would keep a very personal 
article clean and untouched save by the owner. Few 
households indulge in fresh napkins every meal, and 
for this reason, cases are much better than rings, for 
they protect from the usual dust of a room, prevent 
handling by servants, and contact with other napkins. 

For making such an article, take one quarter yard 
of yard- wide material, a fifty-cent linen for instance. 
Cut this in two, making two pieces 9 by 18 inches. 
Hem one end, and measure from this end 7 inches. 
Turn this up for the pocket, and sew up the sides. 
Turn right side out and hem the edges of the flap 
neatly. Initials embroidered on the flap or on the 
back of the case would give the personal touch, mak- 
ing such a simple yet useful gift suitable for Christ- 
mas or birthday time. 

One yard of this fifty -cent linen will make eight 
cases, which are easily worth fifteen cents apiece. 
Even at two for a quarter, the profit on eight would 
be considerable. You might try some boarding-house 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 7^ 

keepers on such a proposition and if necessary use less 
expensive material, selling them then at ten cents 
apiece. This is an almost unknown article and the 
field for them is unlimited. 

ADDRESS BOOKS 

Small note-books which can be indexed easily, and 
covered with silk or cretonne make useful little 
novelties which a girl could sell in connection with her 
wares of other types. 

BOOK COVER 

A book cover that may always be fresh and clean 
is one made of crash, stenciled or embroidered in holly 
design in green and scarlet. This pretty cover makes 
a very appropriate Christmas gift. Of course books 
vary in sizes, but the standard book measures about 
five and a quarter inches by seven and three-quarters 
inches, and one and one-half inches thick. The crash 
should be cut long enough to turn under at both front 
edges of the cover, to form pockets about four inches 
deep. Finish the edges of the pockets with narrow 
hems, and also hem all raw edges. While the em- 
broidery requires more labor, it is more serviceable 
than stenciling, as it can be laundered with better re- 
sults. 

CLOTHESLINE REEL FOR PROFIT 

If you are willing to take pains in doing your work, 
you ought to find a ready sale for a kitchen clothesline 
reel, a description of which follows. Every house- 



72 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

wife will welcome this convenience, which is simple 
and comparatively easy to make. 

Take two pieces of board, each three and one-half 
inches square and one-half inch thick, and shape them 
according to the following directions. Divide three 
of the sides of each piece into halves and place dots 
at the points of division. Connect these dots with a 
half circle, accurately drawn with a compass. Cut 
along the curved lines. 

Bore holes in the exact centers of these two pieces, 
large enough to allow a brass rod, about a quarter of 
an inch thick, to pass through freely. Now, nail these 
pieces, or sides, to a bottom piece, six inches long, five 
and one-half inches wide, and one-half inch thick. 

Procure a brass rod, ten and one-half inches long 
and one-fourth of an inch thick. Run it through the 
two holes in the sides, in such a way that one end 
will extend one-half inch beyond the left side. Notch 
this projection and wind stout linen thread around 
the rod, so as to prevent the end from slipping back 
into the box. Use glue to hold the thread together. 

Before this is done, however, you should shape the 
rod, forming a handle with which to reel up the line. 
Insert the extreme right end of the rod in a hollow 
piece of wood, one and one-half inches long, and pre- 
vent the wooden cylinder from coming off by again 
notching the rod and using the linen thread. 

Secure a very light clothesline, about ten yards long. 
Slip on an iron ring and then attach the two ends of 
the line to the center of the rod. 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES IZ 

Get a piece of tin, six inches long and of sufficient 
width to go around the sides. Cut a slot in the center 
of it one and one-half inches long and three-eighths 
of an inch wide. Run the rope through the slot and 
tack the tin to the sides. 

Make two holes for screws in the upper inch pro- 
jection of the bottom piece and two in the lower inch 
projection. These are to be used for screws to fasten 
the clothesline reel to the wall. 

By painting the outside a rich dark green, the reel 
will look very attractive. 

MUFF HANGER 

A muff hanger is a home-made article that is simple 
enough to make. A thin board four inches in width 
and about two feet long can either be painted white or 
covered with ribbon or silk. Sachet might be added 
to make it more attractive. One and one-half yards 
ribbon about one inch wide is needed for the hanger. 
Loop this around the ends of the board fastening the 
right one if necessary, to make it firmer. Leave the 
left one loose so that the loop may be slipped off to 
run the muff onto the board. An expensive muff is 
well worth care, and the twenty-five cents that one 
may charge for this and still make a profit makes it a 
good investment. 

TRAVELLING APRON 

A travelling apron adds greatly to the convenience 
and pleasure of a trip and this one which I will describe 



74 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

to you is very inexpensive. It is of blue indian head, 
a piece fifteen inches wide and twenty-four inches 
long. Across the bottom of this, lay a piece of the 
same material fifteen inches wide and ten inches in 
depth. Stitch these together on the sides and across 
the bottom and stitch into pockets, making the center 
one-eighth inch wide. On either side above these 
three lower pockets stitch pockets about four inches 
wide and eight inches deep. In the center stitch on a 
piece of eiderdown or some other cottony material 
which will hold hair pins, safeties, etc., thus making 
a convenient place for all kinds of pins. Bind the 
edge with bias tape, also the pockets if desired. These 
pockets are all so deep that articles do not fall out, 
and the whole thing when filled with all the usual 
necessary travelling articles folds up into a roll about 
fifteen inches around. Indian head costs ten cents a 
yard and I think that two yards would make three 
such aprons. The bias tape is ten or twelve cents a 
package and two bolts would be plenty for the three 
aprons. This is such plain, straight sewing that it 
takes no time at all to make them and the cost is less 
than fifty cents for three. 

A PRETTY APRON 

Dainty aprons always make pretty and acceptable 
gifts for all girls. Here is a very pretty one that is 
simple to make. Take a piece of sheer white voile, 
twenty-eight inches long, and twenty-two inches wide. 
Slope to a point at one end, and narrow the other end 



MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 75 

down to sixteen inches in width for the top of the 
apron. Sew a hem of pink voile all around the apron, 
using a piece four and one-half inches in width, which 
when doubled and sewed over the white edges, makes 
a hem about two inches wide. Shirr the apron at the 
waist line and at the top of the bib to the required 
width. Pink satin ribbon is used for the belt which 
fastens at one side with a rosette. A corresponding 
rosette is made of ribbon for the bib, placing it on the 
opposite side. Other delicate colors with white also 
make pretty aprons, using ribbon to match the hem. 

CONVENIENCE FOR TRAVELLERS 

If there is ever a time when a girl needs to have 
things convenient, it is when she is travelling, and some 
of the things she is pretty sure to need are her needle, 
thimble, thread and scissors. They will not be con- 
venient if they are scattered, hit or miss, throughout 
her travelling bag, but the girl who has forethought 
will provide herself with a neat little sewing case to 
save herself a good deal of trouble. This one is very 
simple and easily made. Take bronze morocco or 
scraps of prettily colored levant such as is used to bind 
fine books, and which can be purchased at a book 
bindery. Cut pieces for the oblong sides of the case 
about seven-eighths of an inch by four inches. The 
rest of the case is made of one piece of leather three 
by ten and one-half inches. Line these two pieces of 
leather with pretty silk, and bind all around with No. 
2 satin ribbon. At one end of the long strip, attach 



76 MONEY MAKING NOVELTIES 

a rather flat-tufted pincushion made of the silk, and 
on the other end, buttonholed flannel pieces may be 
sewed, to hold needles and pins. A narrow band of 
elastic for holding a bodkin can also be attached at 
this end. Oversew the oblong side strips, and the one 
long strip of leather together, forming a little case as 
originally planned. The end of the long piece will 
overlap, and ribbon should be attached on each end 
so it will tie conveniently. Scissors, thread, thimble, 
etc., will always be handy if put in a little case like 
this, when getting ready for a journey, and it is a gift 
that would be appreciated highly by any girl who does 
much travelling. 



CHAPTER X 

PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 

Every family should have a camera! What better 
way is there to keep one's pleasures fresh in mind than 
to have pictures full of personal interest? Any one 
possessing a kodak works with keen enthusiasm, and 
as much fun is found in the developing and printing 
features as in the actual taking of pictures. 

If a camera is used merely for pleasure, the owner 
finds subjects everywhere, but if a financial return is 
desired a little study of market requirements must be 
made. Newspapers and magazines run photographic 
pictures of various kinds and pay well for such as they 
accept. Snapshots of children in cunning poses will 
almost always win a few dollars for those sending 
them. Animal pictures come next in interest, for life 
and action represented on paper are the two most im- 
portant features of picture making. Baby animals af- 
ford pictures which are much sought after. A group 
of kittens, fluffy little chicks, a wabbly calf and a 
screw-tailed little pig make quite a picture of the sec- 
ond generation of a stock farm. Shetland ponies are 
good subjects. A bird nest full of gaping bills will 
interest thousands. Any number of rustic scenes can 

17 



78 PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 

be supplied to those, who are wilHng to pay for them. 
These nature scenes are useful in teaching, and there 
is also a steady demand for them in newspaper offices. 

Railroad companies and real estate dealers use an end- 
less number of farm and scenic views. 

When young people are out in the woods or strolling 
through the country it is possible to obtain many 
beautiful views of natural scenes, birds and animals. 
All such pictures have a cash value. An expert can 
take a camera into the country once a week and obtain 
pictures that w411 yield a nice income. This field of 
enterprise is not a narrow one, but is universal. Some- 
times men go through the farming districts taking 
photographs of buildings and herds of stock. These 
they sell to the farmers as well as to city publishers 
who wish to use the views. The owner of a nice horse 
or herd of cattle is sure to be a good customer for any 
boy or girl who can make up an artistic photograph. 
Groups of farm people on the lawn surrounding a cosy 
rural dwelling make excellent subjects for a photog- 
rapher. Recollect, picture taking is not so very com- 
mon among farmers and when the owner of a kodak 
takes a specially nice view of the dwelling, members 
of the family or some beauty spot on the place there 
is sure to be a sale of the photographs. 

Photographs the size of a postal card make good 
lantern slides, for they are clear enough and may be 
colored. These add much to the enjoyment of a vaca- 
tion, especially if one is visiting mountain scenery or 
rustic places. A young photographer can work up an 



PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 79 

unlimited amount of business at almost any of the 
popular summer resorts. 

To take instantaneous pictures the object should be 
in the broad open sunlight, but the camera should not. 
The sun should be behind the back or over the shoulder 
of the operator. Use the largest stop always in tak- 
ing snap shots. Locate the image in the finder, for 
any object that does not show in the finder will not 
show in the picture. Hold the camera level and per- 
fectly steady. Press the shutter lever to one side and 
turn a new film into place. 

In time exposures, a support of some kind is best. 
Pull out the time slide on the left side of the camera 
front. Everything being in readiness, push the lever 
to open the shutter. After the proper time press the 
lever in the opposite direction to close the shutter, then 
turn a new film into position. There are certain rules 
for light and exposure which are stated clearly in the 
instruction guides. 

Flashlights afford more fun than almost any other 
type of picture, and no evening party is complete with- 
out them. A package of flash sheets, a piece of card- 
board, a pin and a match complete the list of essential 
extras, although a kodak flash sheet holder is a great 
convenience. 

With flash sheets, no lamp is necessary. There is a 
minimum of smoke and they are far safer than any 
other self-burning flash medium, besides giving a 
softer light that is less trying to the eyes. Place the 
kodak on some firm support and prepare for a time 



8o PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 

exposure. Pin a flash sheet by one corner to a piece 
of cardboard which has previously been fixed in a per- 
pendicular position. If the cardboard is white it will 
act as a reflector and increase the strength of the flash. 

The flash sheet should always be placed two feet 
behind and two or three feet to one side of the camera. 
If placed in front or on a line with the front of the 
camera, the flash would strike the lens and blur the 
picture. It should be placed at one side as well as be- 
hind, so as to throw a shadow and give a little relief 
in the lighting. The flash should be at the same height 
or a little higher than the camera. The support upon 
which the flash is to be made should not project far 
enough in front of it to cast a shadow in front of the 
camera. An extra piece of cardboard a foot square 
placed under the flash sheet will prevent any sparks 
from the flash doing damage. However, by using the 
kodak flash sheet holder, all these contingencies are 
taken care of. 

Having the camera and the flash sheet both in posi- 
tion and all being in readiness, open the camera shut- 
ter, stand at arm's length and touch a match from be- 
hind through the opening in the center. There will 
be a bright flash which will impress the picture on the 
sensitive film. Then push the lever to close the shut- 
ter and roll a fresh film into place. If you are not 
using the kodak flash sheet holder place the match in 
a split stick at least tw^o feet long. Never use more 
than one sheet at a time in a holder. 

No dark room is required in changing the spools in 



PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 8 1 

the camera. The operation can be performed in the 
open air, but to avoid all liability of fogging the edges 
of the film, it had best be performed in a subdued 
light. When the film has been exposed, give the key 
twenty-four extra turns. This covers the film with 
duplex paper again. 

In the matter of developing, the daylight method is 
the simplest, and gives very good negatives. There 
is no necessity of working in the dark room or 
waiting until night to develop. It can be done in day- 
light at any time and place. And the daylight methods 
of developing give better results than the dark room 
way. A film may be developed in daylight by the 
Kodak Film Tank method. Detailed directions of de- 
veloping will be found in the manual which accom- 
panies the goods. 

Velox prints may be successfully made, using day- 
light for exposure. Select a north window, if possible, 
as the light from this direction will be more uniform. 
Owing to its sensitiveness the paper should he handled 
in subdued light, otherwise it will he liahle to fog. 
Proper precautions should be taken to pull down the 
window shades and darken the room sufficiently during 
manipulation. If the light is too strong for printing 
it should be subdued or diffused by the use of several 
thicknesses of white tissue paper. Owing to the vary- 
ing intensity of daylight uniform results are not as 
certain as when using artificial light. A kerosene lamp 
fitted with a round burner may be used, but owing to 
the decidedly yellow light this affords, a considerably 



82 PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 

longer exposure will be necessary than when using a 
Mazda light. In regard to temperature 70"^ F. is the 
right developer heat, and wash water and fixing bath 
should be 50*^ F. Ten feet from an ordinary gas 
flame is a safe distance to work with Velox paper. 
Follow instructions carefully in this work. I would 
suggest before making the first exposure the cutting 
of a piece of Velox paper into strips about an inch 
wide and placing one of them over an important part 
of the negative, make the exposure, using your best 
judgment as to the distance from the light and the 
time of printing. Develop it, and if not satisfactory 
try another strip, varying the time as indicated by the 
first result. When the desired effect is secured, you 
can make any number of prints from the same nega- 
tive, and if the time of exposure, distance from light 
and time of developing are identical, all the prints 
should be equally good. By comparing your other 
negatives with the one you have tested, you will be 
able to make a fairly accurate estimate of the exposure 
required by any negative. 

After taking the exposed piece of paper from the 
printing frame, in a safe place previously selected, it 
is ready for development. The dry print should be 
immersed face up in the developer and quickly and 
evenly covered with the solution. Regular Velox 
should be developed not to exceed twenty seconds; 
Special Velox about twice as long. No exact time 
can be given, as the strength of the developer used 
would make a difference in the time. 



PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 83 

As soon as the image has reached the desired depth 
remove from the developer to the second tray and rinse 
for a moment, turning the print several times, then 
place it in the acid fixing bath, keeping the print mov- 
ing for a few seconds the same as was done when rins- 
ing, so as to give even and thorough fixing, preventing 
stains and other troubles. Leave the print in this solu- 
tion until thoroughly fixed. This will take about 
fifteen minutes. When fixed remove from the fixing 
bath and wash thoroughly for a short time in run- 
ning water, then dry. After drying, prints may be 
trimmed and mounted. Do the work systematically and 
without messing or fussing. 

After you have taken a photograph, developed it, 
made a print from it, toned, fixed and washed this 
print, what do you do then? Lose all interest in it? 
Leave it on the table, to be swept off on to the floor, 
and so into the waste-basket ? Or do you stuff it into 
the handiest drawer or cupboard? The neatest way 
to keep photographs is to paste them in an album, a 
good big one preferably, with good, strong leaves of 
a color which will harmonize with your prints — I 
should say brown or gray would be most useful. It is 
a good plan to give every print a number, to write it 
underneath the photograph when you have pasted it 
in, and to give the negative the print was made from 
the same number; then to put the negatives away in 
boxes with the numbers written outside. In this way, 
if you ever want more prints from any special nega- 
tive, it is quite easy to find it without any waste of 



84 PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 

time, and without the worry of wondering where you 
put it. 

If you prefer to have your photographs each on a 
separate mount, and wish them to look well, choose as 
plain a mount as you can possibly get, and remember 
that any ornament takes away from the appearance 
of the print rather than adds to it. Above all things, 
cut the print straight before it is mounted. The best 
way to cut it, if you do not possess a cutting machine, 
is to place the print on a piece of glass or something 
equally hard, and to use a very tough ruler and a very 
sharp knife. Do not use stale paste for mounting; 
it is sure to make the prints fade. 

A successful professional was asked what kind of 
paste he used for mounting his large prints. He re- 
plied : " I never use anything but common starch 
paste for any of them." I have tried many different 
formulas and makes and find starch paste as good as 
any water paste, safe, cheap and convenient. It should 
be made fresh each day it is to be used. Take one 
heaping teaspoonful of good laundry starch; add two 
teaspoon fuls cold water, and stir until entirely free 
from lumps; then add, while stirring, enough boiHng 
water (be sure it is boiHng), to make half a teacupful, 
or about one-fourth of a pint. The paste is ready to 
use as soon as cool. It can be thinned with warm 
water if necessary. 

For use on thin cards, book leaves, calendars or 
any place where the drawing, curling or cockling of 



PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 85 

a water paste would be an objection, as well as for 
glossy prints which cannot be burnished after mount- 
ing, use the following gelatin mountant : 

Plain cooking gelatin i ounce 

Alcohol, 95 per cent 10 ounces 

Glycerine from ^ to i ounce 

Soak the gelatin in water till quite soft, say half 
an hour or more ; drain off all the water possible, and 
put in a wide-mouthed bottle with the alcohol and 
glycerine. Heat gently in a water bath until gelatin 
is entirely dissolved. If gelatin is quite soft, one-half 
ounce of glycerine will be sufficient, and if hard the 
full ounce may be used. If well cooked, this mountant 
will keep indefinitely, and has only to be warmed in a 
pan of hot water to be ready for use. I have used it 
three years old, and found it worked as well as when 
first made. 

Dry mounting photographs is a much cleaner and 
better method than using paste. The machinery re- 
quired for dry-mounting is far too expensive for young 
amateurs, but very good results may be obtained by 
using an ordinary hot flat-iron. The chief advantage 
of dry-mounting is that the mounted prints do not curl 
up or cockle, even when they are mounted on quite 
thin paper. 

First of all, buy the adhesive tissue for mounting 
at any photographic dealer's ; don't buy a great amount, 
but just a little to experiment with. Then lay your 



86 PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 

photograph, which must be dry, face downward on a 
sheet of brown paper or tin, or any substance to which 
it will not stick. Next place a piece of the adhesive 
tissue — the same size as the photograph — on the back 
of the photograph, and touch it with one corner of a 
hot flat-iron, hot enough to iron with, so that the tissue 
sticks to the back of the photograph. Then place the 
photograph face upward again, and with a sharp pen- 
knife and hand ruler, or a pair of sharp scissors, trim 
the edges of the tissue and the photograph. Get the 
edges straight. If you use scissors, you will have to 
draw a pencil line where the edge comes ; if you use a 
knife, it is easier to get the tissue exactly the same 
size as the photograph. 

Have your mount ready, and take the photograph 
and tissue, which are both stuck together, and lay them 
on the mount; it is well to mark with a pencil on the 
mount where the photograph should come, then you 
will be sure to get it straight. Now take the hot iron 
in one hand, and, holding the photograph firm with 
the thumb of the other hand, lift up a corner of the 
photograph with the fingers, and fix the tissue to the 
mount with the hot iron, just a touch or two to keep it 
in its place. The photograph now being fixed in places 
to the mount, so that it will not move, cover the whole 
with a sheet of brown paper and pass the hot iron over 
it till, the tissue melting, the photograph is firmly fas- 
tened all over on the mount. 

You can make the adhesive tissue paper, if you wish, 
by following these simple directions ; make the coating 



PHOTOGRAPHY GIVES GOOD RETURNS 87 

for the tissue as follows : Gum sandarac, three parts ; 
gum copal, one part ; shellac, one part ; resin, one part ; 
alcohol, three parts; spirits of turpentine, three parts. 
Apply this to the tissue paper with a brush, and let it 
dry. 



CHAPTER XI 

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 

In such matters as raising animals or garden products, 
canning fruits and vegetables and cultivating flowers, 
boys and girls in the country have an advantage over 
young people living in town. In other lines of ac- 
tivity, however, those dwelling in cities have special 
opportunities. 

One boy tells what he did with a potato crop on 
his father's farm, which is in Massachusetts: 

" Last May my father gave me one-eighth of an acre 
of good potato land. He said I could plant potatoes 
there but I would have to care for them and pay for 
all the work which I could not do. I planted two 
bushels, for which I paid $1.50. This, with the work 
which I could not do, amounted to $11.25. When I 
dug them, I had 47}^ bushels, of which 42 were large 
enough to sell. These brought me 90 cents a bushel. 
I took a display of the best to our local fair and made 
enough on prizes to pay for carting the potatoes to 
market. My net profit was $26.55, ^ great deal of 
experience and considerable gain in knowledge of busi- 
ness methods." 

Another youth gives his experience in this way: 



OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 89 

** I have always liked poultry, so I thought I would 
try by that means to make a little spending money. I 
bought a setting of Rhode Island Red eggs and put 
them under a hen. Eleven hatched, of which six were 
pullets. I sold the roosters for broilers and raised 
the pullets. 

" During the summer my father built a little hen- 
house. In this I put my six pullets. For a year and 
a half I kept a record and made a neat profit. During 
the year 19 14 ten White Plymouth Rock hens averaged 
$2.19 apiece. I think if a boy wants a little spending 
money keeping poultry is a good way, as little capital 
is required to start." 

A Connecticut boy began making maple syrup on 
his own account when he was only ten years old. He 
tells of his experience in this way: 

" When I was about 10 years old I made a little 
furnace in the pasture, only large enough so an or- 
dinary dripping pan would cover it. I tapped five or 
six maple trees and made a little syrup, which I sold. 
The next year I bought a sap pan and a number of 
buckets. That year I made about nine gallons, which 
I sold at $1 a gallon. I continued this way for a few 
years. This year I bought a rocker furnace and an 
evaporator and I am going to tap all the hard maple 
trees on the place." 

Miss Anna Barrett of Larimore, N. D., produced 
3,81 1 pounds of pork from a litter of fourteen Durocs 
in 209 days. She sold it for 6J/4 cents per pound, 
which brought her $247.71, while the value of the 



90 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 

feed was $91.49, which left a return of $156.22 above 
the cost of the feed. The average daily gain above 
the cost of the feed was 75 cents — a pretty good re- 
turn for caring for a litter of pigs. These pigs were 
born April 2j. From the 9th of May until the loth 
of October they had the run of a pasture. In addi- 
tion, they were fed 21 bushels of corn, 14 of barley, 
20 of oats, 21-3 tons of screenings, 114 pounds of 
bran and 1,400 pounds of milk. From this amount 
of feed the fourteen pigs, with an average weight of 
272 pounds, were developed, and the cost per pound 
was 2 2-5 cents. 

This result was attained in a contest with other 
young people, all under 18 years of age. The prize 
won by Miss Barrett was $100, besides the profit from 
the pork. A boy won the second prize and a girl the 
third. 

Country girls usually make a success with poultry, 
calves, pigs, sheep and horses when they have a chance 
to raise them, and it is a poor kind of a father who 
will not give an ambitious boy or girl a chance. A 
partnership is the best method of getting started in 
any such money-making enterprise. 

Nearly all young people in the country have a chance 
to make cottage cheese, a product which is in good 
demand at fair prices. Town famihes like to buy 
cottage cheese in pound packages from a neat farm 
girl or woman. A nice way of putting up this product 
is to use the ordinary paper ice-cream pail, holding 



OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 9^ 

either one or two pounds, as desired. The package 
should be wrapped in paraffin paper before being 
placed in the paper pail. Customers readily pay 15 
cents a pound for an article of nice quality. 

Any intelligent boy or girl can make cottage cheese 
and work up a good trade with it. Skimmed milk is 
to be set aside a day or two until thick. Then place 
the pan or kettle on the back of the stove for gradual 
heating until the whey and curd separate. Drain 
through an ordinary cloth without squeezing. When 
dry place in a dish and mix a cup of cream with five 
to eight pounds of curd. This makes it rich and pal- 
atable. 

Among the school children in the rural districts of 
Cook county, Illinois, there is a good deal of friendly 
rivalry to see who can produce the best crops of vege- 
tables and corn on little tracts of land which they rent 
from their parents. In most cases the children use 
less than an acre. They are showing keen intelligence 
in growing a variety of garden products and their 
earnings have made people sit up and take notice. It 
has been a common thing in their experience to raise 
vegetables worth at the rate of $1,000 an acre. A very 
small patch is required to clear $100, and besides this 
profit there is an unlimited amount of pleasure, health- 
ful recreation and valuable experience in conducting 
these little farming projects. 

A Maine boy says : '* I know nearly all boys trap 
but perhaps there are some who have not tried this 



92 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 

scheme of money-making. One favorable thing about 
trapping is that it does not interfere with your duties ; 
you can go to school and trap at the same time. 

" My second way of making money is by gathering 
golden seal, or yellow root, as it is more commonly 
called. It is quite well known in country districts and 
no doubt most boys are familiar with the yellow root 
which grows at the edge of fields where there are 
bushes and in the woods, for it requires shade. Any- 
one who has ever tasted it will remember its bitter 
taste. It is much in demand by druggists at quite 
high prices. A very short time ago it was selling at 
from $4.50 to $5 a pound. It may be higher now. 
So you see it is worth gathering. 

'' Another article which can be gathered to ad- 
vantage is a kind of moss growing in swampy and wet 
places, which is used by florists for packing flowers in. 
The evergreen or tree fern, which florists use to mix 
with the cut flowers, is also a salable article. 

'' Perhaps the best thing I know of to earn spend- 
ing money around Christmas time is cutting Christ- 
mas trees to sell. It is best to have three sizes so as 
to suit the needs and purposes of different people. 
You can arrange the prices to suit the circumstances." 

Another Yankee boy writes : " Last year I earned 
pocket money by catching minnows to sell. The last 
of September I made two wooden boxes, screened at 
both ends and placed them in the brook in such a way 
that water continually passed through them slowly. 
A rush of water would kill minnows. Then with a 



OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 93 

net I caught about 300 minnows, and put them in the 
boxes. These I fed on meal and bread crumbs and 
began to sell as soon as ice was right for fishing. 
They readily commanded a cent apiece and although 
some died, I sold enough to net me $28. This was 
clear profit." 

A Kentucky boy takes advantage of the nuts grow- 
ing on and near his father's farm. He gathered 50 
quarts of chestnuts, selling them at 10 cents a quart. 
This gave him quite a little spending money for 
Christmas, and as he had really earned it, he was all 
the happier. 

A boy in the East has three ways of earning money. 
He exhibits his choicest garden produce at fairs when- 
ever he has an opportunity. He gathers scraps of 
iron along the railroad, and $25 was earned in this 
manner by him in one year. His third " side line " 
is to collect rare coins and sell them. He watches the 
coin catalogue, and finds this pastime of collecting 
coins very remunerative and interesting. 

Another country boy tells of his experience in this 
way: 

" My father owns a farm of twenty-four acres. 
The soil is very fertile and well adapted to vegetables. 
This is the way that I have earned spending money 
for myself: First, I raised tomatoes, cabbage and 
watermelon plants for sale. I sold the first two 
varieties for Yz cent apiece and the watermelons for 
10 cents apiece, making several dollars that way. 
Some of the finest plants I set out, and by taking great 



94 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 

care of them was able to raise some prize-winning 
vegetables, which I took to the county fair. Later I 
sent them to the state fair, where I received first prize 
again. The work was easy and I enjoyed it." 



CHAPTER XII 

GIVING ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE 

A BOY or girl who is brought face to face with the 
need of money earning should take a little time to 
consider methods. The number of legitimate ways 
of gaining profitable employment is astonishing. 
Those who have a taste for any branch of agriculture 
should study the subject, and learn all they can about 
gardening and fruit growing, handling domestic ani- 
mals, keeping poultry and raising grain. Much work 
can be done along these lines wherever there is a 
garden, but those who have no plot of ground in town 
may find it feasible to go a few miles into the country, 
along a car line, and engage to do light farm work, or 
an acre or two of land may be rented for experiments 
in gardening. 

Crops of vegetables can be kept growing all sum- 
mer, or at least until vacation ends, and while a plot 
of ground may be secured for a few dollars the earn- 
ing capacity runs up to quite a large sum. A very 
small patch devoted to lettuce, radishes, peas, beets, 
onions, tomatoes, sweet corn, celery, etc., can be made 
to pay well. Then it is possible to find employment 
which will yield both experience and wages. Strong 

95 



96 GIVING ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE 

lads are always needed through haying and harvest 
time, when pay is the highest among farmers. If 
they have a taste for driving horses and feeding stock 
they are almost sure to find work. 

Girls can do gardening, pick fruit, assist in canning 
and do many other things which should be both pleas- 
ant and profitable. It is best for them to go home 
nights unless they are well acquainted with the families 
where they are employed and can be properly lodged 
and boarded. Circumstances are different in all cases, 
and it would be foolish for children to make arrange- 
ments for work unless they know pretty well what they 
are doing and have the consent and advice of parents 
or other friends. 

Nearly every family has to hire a little gardening 
done, and boys and girls can make themselves useful 
and earn considerable holiday money by doing odd 
jobs in this line. Wild flowers are always in demand, 
and various kinds which may be gathered in the 
country, within reasonable walking distance, or along 
an electric line, will go a long way in the money mak- 
ing scheme. I notice hundreds of children with bou- 
quets of wild flowers through the spring and summer, 
and they can sell them if they care to do so. One 
kind of work that pays well is the collection of swamp 
earth, or the rich soil known as forest mold, which 
can be secured in timber lots. There is a great de- 
mand in villages and cities for this black earth, and 
25 cents a bushel is a fair price for it. A little can- 
vassing will reveal many customers. 



GIVING ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE 97 

In sections where fishing is good boys can earn a 
lot of money by supplying poles, hooks and bait, as 
well as by acting as guides. At summer resorts as 
well as near large towns boys and girls have a good 
chance to earn money by rendering service of this 
kind to strangers and boarders. I have known young 
people living near summer resorts to gain a regular 
cash income by selling buttermilk, flowers and fruits. 
There are many such little ideas that can be turned to 
profit. In the berry season any smart boy or girl 
ought to be able to earn a dollar a day by picking and 
selling fruit. 

The story is told of a number of young girls who 
cut straws into suitable lengths for kindergartens and 
soda water fountains. This is an easy task if you 
have permission to go to a strawstack. For kinder- 
gartens straws are needed in difiFerent colors, and 
Easter egg dyes are suitable for giving them the tints 
needed. There is a wide demand for this product and 
the work will give an income through most of the year. 

Most persons desire flower boxes for porch and 
window gardens, and if a boy can make them neatly 
or secure them from stores in town he will find plenty 
of patronage at a good profit. In supplying these 
boxes all sizes and kinds will work in, and it is quite 
possible for a bright boy to construct suitable boxes, 
rustic or plain, for customers who want something 
odd and tasty, made in a special way for a particular 
purpose. Any number of town people would be glad 
to buy ferns and such things in neat boxes filled with 



98 GIVING ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE 

soil from the woods. In many cases where boys sell 
boxes for this purpose they can secure jobs of filling 
them with soil and helping about the selection of 
plants. 

In the berry-picking season all energetic young peo- 
ple should be able to earn considerable money. It is 
a settled fact that the demand for berries is increasing 
rather than decreasing and prices are on a high level. 
If children can not do more than gather enough berries 
for family use they are doing something useful and 
having a good time besides. 

Boys and girls who are familiar with the country 
districts should make it a point to become acquainted 
with as many farmers as possible. Friendships of 
this kind will bring many a paying job to the young 
people, in the line of gardening and fruit-picking. In 
addition to doing such work as this in the vacation sea- 
son they will be able to strike a bargain with some of 
their farmer friends for the use of a plot of ground 
the following season. 

Young people who have a chance to form partner- 
ships including two or three persons can easily work 
as much as five acres, which ought to produce several 
hundred dollars' worth of vegetables. The best plan 
is to secure the plot of ground for about three years. 
This will enable the young tenants to raise some small 
fruits as well as a full line of garden truck. The 
whole business will be much easier the second and 
third years than during the first season. 

It is a splendid thing for young people to become 



GIVING ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE 99 

familiar with farm work. They can earn a Httle 
money through the vacation period and at the same 
time pick up a great deal of useful knowledge about 
handling poultry, live stock, fruit, vegetables, etc. 
There is no telling how many of such young persons 
will choose farming for their life vocation. It is safe 
to say that some of them will do so. In this event the 
knowledge they acquire during their school days will 
prove almost invaluable. To begin with, they know 
whether they like farming or not. It is safe to assume 
that intelligent boys and girls can become money- 
makers in the country by using their hands as well as 
their minds. 

The leasing of a plot of ground for from two to 
five years enables young people to ascertain which are 
the most profitable crops. Some of the surest vege- 
tables can not be produced the first season. These in- 
clude asparagus and rhubarb. These are two of the 
best paying products and they can easily be handled 
by amateurs. This is also true of various kinds of 
flowers. 

At every odd spell during the summer work can be 
found on neighboring farms. Sometimes it will be 
for a day, and then again for a week or more. The 
work can be so managed on the plot which the young 
people are working that they can be away for an oc- 
casional spell to earn a little money and gain ex- 
perience. 



CHAPTER XIII 

COLLECTING AND GROWING FLOWERS 

Young people in almost any locality will find pleasure 
and profit in the collection and growing of flowers. 
The demand for flowers is universal and continual, so 
that a paying business is readily established. Those 
who have access to woods and farms get many beauti- 
ful blossoms for the picking. 

Quite a number of beautiful and delicate flowers 
bloom in early spring. Most of these blossoms can 
not bear the strong sunlight and therefore we find 
them nestled in shady dells and alongside brooks. 

Almost the first to appear is the hepatica, or liver- 
leaf. This is known by still another name, liverwort, 
and is found in the northern states just about the time 
the last snows are melting and the breath of spring is 
in the air. The flowers are generally blue, but some- 
times one will find blossoms that are almost white. 

Another springtime beauty is the claytonia, in fact, 
it is called the spring beauty. This, too, blooms early 
and has a slender stem bearing grass-like leaves. The 
blossom is a cluster of tiny rose-colored cups veined 
with pink. It fades rapidly, so is not good in bou- 
quets. It is kin to the portulaca. 

100 



COLLECTING AND GROWING FLOWERS lOl 

Along the bank of little brooks threading their way 
into the woods, a number of pretty blossoms can be 
found. There is the heart-shaped, flesh-colored flow- 
ers of the squirrel com, so named from the yellow 
kernel-like roots of the plant rather than from the 
shape and color of the flowers. 

The Dutchman's breeches, sometimes called white- 
heart, is a pretty heart-shaped blossom, white in color 
and found in profusion. Farther on one comes across 
the dainty, fragrant trailing arbutus. The aroma is 
sensed long before the plant is within reach. 

Somewhat later in the season the royal trillium ap- 
pears. There are several varieties, deep purple, white 
with red or pink stripes and a pure white. The last 
named is the tardiest in blooming, but is considered 
most beautiful. This plant will be found away from 
the water, as it thrives best on drier soil. While not 
quite practical for bouquets, it is beautiful to look upon 
in a bed of moist green moss. 

The bloodroot, a pure white flower, which emanates 
from a root stock as repulsive as the blossom is pretty, 
is another welcome bloom. 

The violet family is abroad in the land from earliest 
spring until summer is with us. This bloom always 
makes up into an acceptable bouquet. There is the 
bird's-foot, the common blue violet, the round-leaved, 
lance-leaved, and the yellow and white violets. The 
last two mentioned seem almost too fragile to with- 
stand the early frosty breezes. However, they ap- 
pear with the rest. Then there is a violet tinged with 



102 COLLECTING AND GROWING FLOWERS 

purple known as the Canada violet. This blossom is 
found close to the northern boundary and occasionally 
a little farther south. 

Bluets, or innocents, are somewhat like the violet, 
although no kin. They grow abundantly in pasture 
lands and grassy plots, A field carpeted with these 
tender little flowers is indeed a pretty sight. 

Ferns can be sold in pots at figures which will bring 
in a tidy sum. Many housekeepers would willingly pay 
a boy or girl a few dollars to have such flowers as wild 
roses, trilliums, lady's-slippers, violets, etc., trans- 
planted from the woods to their gardens. A collector 
may be called on for these, and many more that are 
easily found in the early part of the season. A few 
favorites that can be picked or transplanted in May are 
hepatica, bloodroot, anemone, marigold, crane's-bill, 
orchis spectabilis, buttercup, blue flag and spider lily. 
I would advise the boys and girls who are going into 
this line of business to rent a patch of ground unless 
they have gardens at home. In any country district 
where flowers are numerous, a patch of land can be 
had for a few dollars each season. It is quite likely 
that the amount can be paid for in work or traded 
out in some way. In such cases a bit of ground should 
be selected near a farmhouse, and there must be a 
friendly working relationship with the owner. In this 
way the crop will be safe from intruders. 

Any young person, working singly or in partner- 
ship, can do wonders with an acre of land or less. It 
is possible to sell 2,000 roots of ovalis from a square 



COLLECTING AND GROWING FLOWERS 103 

rod of garden space. Many other plants are almost 
equally prolific and easy to grow. There is a big de- 
mand for oxalis roots. These and such hardy flowers 
as daisies, asters, sweetpeas and tiger lilies can be 
handled by amateurs and made to pay nicely while 
experience is being gained for the more delicate kinds. 

These opportunities are for boys and girls in the 
country as well as those living in town. In thousands 
of cases the sons and daughters of farmers can have 
ground and facilities of cultivation without any ex- 
pense. Nearly all parents are glad to encourage their 
children to establish a little business for themselves 
and build up a bank account, so long as it does not take 
too much time from school or regular farm duties. 

I am sure boys and girls living in the country do not 
fully realize how much the common flowers which they 
term weeds are appreciated by town people. House- 
keepers who have no time to gather these blossoms 
gladly purchase them when they are brought to their 
doors, especially if they can thereby encourage some 
bright boy or girl to branch out in an independent way. 
Let it be known that you will furnish wild flowers or 
plants in their season at reasonable rates and you will 
have about all the business you can manage. 

The best way is to make regular deliveries, once or 
twice a week, but in addition to this many persons 
will give orders for extra supplies at times when they 
are giving parties or entertaining company. Always 
be sure that the flowers are in the best condition when 
delivered. Cutting and placing the stems in water in 



104 COLLECTING AND GROWING FLOWERS 

a cool place for several hours before delivery will fill 
the tissues with water and thus prevent them from 
wilting. Then wrap in large sheets of paper to pro- 
tect from air and sun, or pack in pasteboard boxes. 
Mailing by parcel post is feasible for such a business. 

A boy in a rural town noticed that it was hard to 
get cut flowers. He thought he could raise them for 
the market, and his father gave him the necessary 
ground. He planted bulbs for tulips and started to 
grow dahomis, sweet williams, roses and phlox. In 
each case he spent a few cents more to get the rare 
variety. In another bed he had gladiolas, pansies, 
cosmos, geraniums, sweet peas, asters and larkspurs. 
He spent much of his time studying how to care for 
his plants and found out which ones needed the most 
cultivation, water, etc. When flowers began to bloom 
he made a neat sign, " Cut Flowers for Sale, " and 
placed it on the side lawn. He then looked for cus- 
tomers and arranged with a dozen families for a bou- 
quet every Saturday night for the Sunday table at lo 
cents each. This made a regular income of over $i a 
week. He sold his rarest flowers to transient custom- 
ers at high prices. When the summer was over he 
had $47 in the bank and many plants and bulbs for 
the next year. 

There is one common flower that can be made 
profitable all summer on a very small patch of ground. 
If young folks can get a patch in a garden, they can 
raise an almost unlimited number of poppies, which 
require little labor and bring some money. Poppies 



COLLECTING AND GROWING FLOWERS 105 

are so hardy and prolific that the rules of cultivation 
are the simplest. Scatter 5 cents' worth of seed in any 
ordinary soil and a crop is sure. They will bloom by 
hundreds most of the summer. For amateurs who 
are without the best facilities for flower growing, I 
can recommend the poppy as a good money-maker. 



CHAPTER XIV 

METHODS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS 

Young people who have money making in view need 
not hesitate to try experiments in the cultivation of 
flowers. If they can command capital enough to 
erect a greenhouse costing $800 to $1,200 with a heat- 
ing plant, they will find this a paying investment, as it 
enables the owner to grow flowers and vegetables in 
winter as well as summer. Even in the open garden, 
however, floriculture is a good business. 

Some of the flowers which give particularly good re- 
sults, if started in hotbeds or cold frames, are: Ager- 
atum, alyssum, aster, calendula or pot marigold, calli- 
opsis, campanula, castor bean, chrysanthemum, cox- 
comb, cosmos, petunia, sweet william, Scotch pink, 
scarlet sage and verbena. Certain other flowers die 
or fail to thrive if they are transplanted. These there- 
fore, should be sown only in the open ground. Va- 
rieties which are best to sow in a permanent location 
are: California poppy, candytuft, corn flower, for- 
get-me-not, lobelia, phlox, sunflower and sweet peas. 

Asters, chrysanthemums, gladioli and sweet peas sur- 
pass nearly all other flowers for open garden cultiva- 
tion, being hardy and prolific. Others may be chosen, 

106 



METHODS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS 107 

but these are the leaders. With a greenhouse, roses 
and carnations are highly profitable. 

Every girl wishes to know how to raise geraniums 
for winter blooming. The geranium is ever popular, 
and a room decorated with this and sweet alyssum is 
pleasing to the eye after the frosts of fall and winter 
have spoiled the garden. 

In July take slips away from the old plants, care 
being exercised to get only the topmost ones. Run a 
sharp instrument through the bottoms of tomato cans, 
making several incisions ; place two or three large peb- 
bles in the bottom of each can and fill with moderately 
rich earth, then plant the cuttings. 

Place in a very shady place and cover with news- 
papers for several days to protect the cuttings from 
extreme heat ; remove the papers and turn occasionally 
until the stalks have assumed an upright growth, nip- 
ping in all buds until the plants are a good size. Then 
keep them always in the same position, taking care in 
this, and beautiful, fan-shaped plants that will blossom 
all winter will reward you. 

Water regularly with tepid water — this is essential 
to good growth; use all the water the plants will ab- 
sorb; this seems a small thing, but it will repay you 
well. 

To have geraniums in blossom all the year, take slips 
from the bottom of plants in spring, March or April, 
and continuing so you will have plants that will please 
you better than if your old ones were set away. Keep 
them in rooms that are never chilly, taking the plants 



lo8 METHODS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS 

from the windows if necessary. Do not use cans 
that are too large, as limiting the roots induces bloom- 
ing. 

If you have east or south windows in your kitchen 
try red geraniums in them through the winter; the 
every-day duties are lightened much by the brightness 
of the scarlet blossoms. 

In order successfully to grow plants in the house, 
it is desirable to give them as nearly as possible the 
same conditions as those under which they grew in 
their native haunts. The calla, a native of the Nile 
valley, stands naturally with its roots in the mud under 
a tropical sun. Therefore, it is essential that it be 
given light, heat and water in abundance, especially 
water. Never should the ground be permitted to be- 
come even comparatively dry ; for in one day when the 
buds are forming they may become blighted. The result 
will be — no flowers until the next pair of buds. 
Make it a rule to keep the ground saturated so there 
will always be some water in the saucer. The blos- 
soms can be forced by giving hot water in a pan in 
which the jar is set, but it is best at the same time to 
water from the top with warm, not hot water. 

Sweet peas should be in the ground as soon as the 
soil is fit to work. Careful preparation of the land is 
important. A trench should be dug four inches deep. 
In the bottom of this the sweet peas should be planted 
about two inches apart. When they are to be grown 
over chicken wire or brush stuck in the ground it is 
customary to sow them in two parallel rows, six or 



METHODS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS 109 

eight inches apart. In this way on the same amount 
of trelHs double the number of plants can be grown. 
Sweet peas thrive best in a cool, moist place. Because 
of this it is best to sow early in the spring. 

Columbines, particularly the larger varieties, are one 
of the most elegant and graceful of hardy garden 
flowers. Their blooms are produced in late spring 
and early summer and are borne on stems two feet or 
more above the beautifully divided fern-like foliage. 
The exquisitely spurred flowers are produced in abun- 
dance. Seed may be sown from early spring to July 
in shallow boxes. 

The small plants may be transferred into two-inch 
pots or into flats, spacing them two inches apart, and 
may be planted in their permanent quarters as soon as 
large enough to handle conveniently, or they may be 
allowed to complete their season's growth in a seed 
bed and transplanted to the border the following fall 
or spring, placing the plants fifteen to eighteen inches 
apart. Persons who wish to give a little attention to 
the appearance of their lawn or garden can depend 
on this flower for fine appearance and permanency. 
They work into any scheme of floriculture. 

Chinese peonies are desirable on account of their 
large size, fine colors, and profuse blooming. They are 
perfectly hardy and will succeed on any ground unless 
so wet that the water will lie on the surface in the 
winter and spring. They may be planted either in the 
spring or fall. There is considerable money to be 
made in handling these hardy and beautiful flowers. 



no METHODS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS 

A large family trade can be built up with them. A 
limited demand exists among dealers. They are 
chiefly recommended for ornament in a large garden 
or lawn. 

People who have a natural taste for raising flowers 
work at them to some extent all the year round. It 
should be kept in mind that winter preparations and 
care can not be neglected if good results are to be 
obtained, whether we are in the business for profit or 
merely for pleasure. 

Not only are tulips and other bulbous plants attrac- 
tive around the lawn in early spring, but they are also 
most satisfactory for indoor culture during the winter. 
They should be used in separate pots rather than in 
window boxes. Holland bulbs, such as the narcissus, 
tulip and hyacinth, are practically the only plants that 
will flower satisfactorily in the house with ordinary 
care. About the only plant giving similar satisfaction 
is the begonia. 

It is essential for growing bulbs that they shall 
become thoroughly rooted before the tops are per- 
mitted to grow. This is done by planting the bulbs 
in soil either in pots or what florists know as " pans, " 
which are shallow porcelain pots, or in boxes. These 
bulbs are then put in a cool place in the dark for a 
period of six or eight weeks, or even longer if de- 
sired. They should be left there until the roots are 
well started. The bulbs should then be brought into a 
slightly warmer place, with some light, for three or 
four days, and then gradually brought into greater 



METHODS OF CULTIVATING FLOWERS II I 

warmth and full light. During all the period of 
growth the ground should be kept moist without being 
water-soaked. 

Occasionally the roots should be examined to see 
whether or not the plant requires repotting. This 
is done by holding the hands over the top of the pot, 
inverting plant and all, tapping the edge of the pot so 
as to loosen it, then lifting the pot off. This can not 
be done unless the soil is moderately moist. If the 
ball of earth is completely covered with roots the plant 
should be put in a slightly larger pot. 



CHAPTER XV 

PROFITS FROM MEDICINAL PLANTS 

A SURE method of gaining a profit every season is by 
the collection and sale of plants which have medicinal 
values. In a number of cases that might be cited peo- 
ple get a living income from this kmd of work. 
There is a large and steady trade in this country for 
roots and herbs and profitable prices are always to be 
obtained. For boys and girls who merely gather such 
products in the woods or fields there may be consider- 
able profit without any investment. 

Young people can easily learn all that they need to 
know on the subject of plant collection, and they may 
be surprised to see how much money they can obtain 
from a small outlay of time and labor. The follow- 
ing drug plants are found growing wild or may be 
cultivated in America : 



Althea 


Conium 


Anise 


Coriander 


Belladonna 


Dandelion 


Burdock 


Digitalis 


Calamus 


Elecampane 


Caraway 


Fennel 



113 



PROFITS FROM MEDICINAL PLANTS 1 13 



Henbane 


Sage 


Horehound 


Thyme 


Marjoram 


Valerian 



Some medicinal plants may be grown as easily as 
ordinary garden crops and many of them grow with- 
out any attention whatever, so that they may be gath- 
ered by the roadside or in odd places on almost any 
large farm. No special knowledge beyond the capac- 
ity of the ordinary person is required. The methods 
of harvesting and curing are soon learned. 

Linden or basswood flowers are collected in May or 
June and carefully dried in the shade. A tea made 
from the flowers is used for headache, indigestion or 
colds. In some European countries linden tea is re- 
garded as very soothing to the nerves. The dried 
flowers are quoted at 35 cents a pound. 

Seeds of the dangerous and deadly poison hemlock 
are, while green but fully grown, carefully dried in a 
dark, well-ventilated place, and then stored in tight 
cans or boxes so that light and air are excluded. This 
seed brings eight to nine cents a pound. It has medi- 
cinal value, but the gatherer should always remember 
that it is a deadly poison. 

Jimson weed is another poisonous plant whose fruit 
and leaves are used in medicine. The seed capsules 
are cut when mature but still green and dried until they 
open. The seed is then shaken out, and spread to dry 
thoroughly. The seed is worth six to seven cents a 
pound. 



114 PROFITS FROM MEDICINAL PLANTS 

Mullein flowers are collected when fully open, but 
not ready to drop, and carefully dried. They are 
listed at from 70 to 80 cents a pound. Elder flowers 
are dried quickly when fully opened, so that they are 
yellowish in color, not brownish or black; they are 
used as a home-remedy, and also officially, selling for 
18 to 20 cents a pound. 

Ginseng and golden seal are being extensively culti- 
vated in some localities and pay well. Golden seal 
is a very attractive proposition, in view of the fact 
that a crop of it can be harvested in three years after 
being set, whereas it takes from four to six to grow a 
crop of ginseng. Growers of golden seal have se- 
cured yields of two pounds of dry roots to the square 
yard. This would be at the rate of $9.50 per square 
yard at the present price of $4.75 per pound. 

The practice of shipping golden seal seed in the 
red berries is a poor one and should be abandoned. 
The slightest fermentation of these red berries will 
kill every seed. In fact, the berries after being picked 
should not be allowed to stand over a few hours be- 
fore the seed is rubbed out or the seed is liable to be 
killed. The number of seed in a quart of berries will 
range from 5,000 to 10,000 according to the age of 
the plants and the condition of the weather — whether 
it is dry or wet. Like the raspberry in a dry spell, 
the berries seem all seeds, because the pulp does not 
grow for lack of moisture. Immediately after pick- 
ing seal berries crush them and wash out all the pulp 



PROFITS FROM MEDICINAL PLANTS 1 15 

and juices possible and stratify seed in four or five 
times their bulk of sifted loam. 

Berries of the common juniper sell for two to two 
and one-half cents a pound; they are collected when 
ripe, usually about October. They are used for distil- 
lation of oil, for flavoring purposes, and medicinally 
as a stimulant and diuretic. 

The berries of the saw palmetto are used officially 
in medicine and sell for 25 to 27 cents a pound. The 
fruit ripens from October to December, but collec- 
tion begins before it is fully ripe, in August, and ex- 
tends into January. 

Wormseed is a common and exasperating weed, but 
its dry seed brings from eight to ten cents a pound, 
while oil of w^ormseed is $2.25 to $2.50 a pound. 
Wormseed may be cultivated to a considerable extent, 
for the distillation of this oil. 

The berries of the familiar pokeweed are gathered 
when fully mature, and carefully dried in the shade. 
They are poisonous, but of value in medicine, and sell 
for three to four cents a pound. Poke-root is also 
used medicinally. 

Black mustard and White mustard, are both trouble- 
some weeds, and are both used in medicine. The 
fruiting tops are gathered before fully ripe, and 
placed on a clean shelf or floor to dry out and open the 
pods, when the seed is easily shaken out. It is quoted 
at two to four cents a pound. 

Prickly ash berries when dried command 19 cents 



Il6 PROFITS FROM MEDICINAL PLANTS 

a pound. They are pungent and aromatic, and as 
found in commerce consist of the brownish seed cap- 
sule, sometimes still containing the black seed, but 
usually it has shattered out. 

The handsome red berries of the smooth or upland 
sumac should be gathered and dried while bearing the 
velvety covering, which gives them their acid taste. 

Every country boy and girl knows the keen delight 
of roaming meadow or forest in search of rosin weed 
or spruce gum. The city boy or girl who spends a 
summer in the country, soon learns to love these 
fragrant country gums. A city family once received 
a box of spruce gum from Wisconsin, and were so 
pleased with it that they at once wrote to their country 
cousins to pick and put up little boxes of the gum 
which they would undertake to sell for them among 
their city friends. 

The country children were only too glad of this 
chance to earn a little spending money. They made 
neat Httle boxes of pliable birch bark, and lined them 
with paraffin paper. Into these they packed the gum. 
Some of it they melted into cakes and sweetened, but 
the city children liked the natural flavor best as a rule. 
The next season the city cousins spent a summer in 
the country and picked great quantities of rosin weed 
gum which they packed in bark boxes tied with raffia 
and sold to city friends as they did the spruce gum. 

The rosin weed gum is the sap from the weed, and 
the weeds must be broken. They are allowed to stand 
for days till the dripping sap is ripe. 



CHAPTER XVI 

CULTIVATION OF POP CORN 

A DELIGHTFUL garden feature which affords consider- 
able profit is that of growing pop com. From $50 to 
$100 worth of this product may be raised on the back 
of a town lot. The value of an acre of pop corn is 
from $200 to $500. 

Aside from the money making there is great pleas- 
ure in having a supply of pop corn through the winter 
evenings. The surplus stock can always be sold to 
neighbors or dealers. Most any variety of the grain 
will give satisfactory results if properly handled, and 
by judicious selection of seed the chosen variety can 
be improved from year to year. 

Pop corn can be successfully grown on any soil that 
is adapted to field corn. When planted in rotation 
crop and for commercial purposes, pop corn generally 
takes the place of the ordinary field corn in the order 
of planting. Plowing may be done in early spring or 
in the fall. If old sod land is to be used it should be 
plowed in the fall to expose worms and insects to the 
winter frosts. 

In order to succeed best with pop corn it should be 
planted as early as possible in the summer so that it 

117 



Il8 CULTIVATION OF POP CORN 

will have a long season in which to grow and mature. 
If harvested in an immature condition it will not give 
as flaky and crisp pop corn balls as can be made from 
fully ripened corn. A warm, well-drained lot, free 
from marshy places, should be selected. A sandy 
loam is best. The soil should be plowed or spaded to 
a depth of eight inches or more and the surface of the 
plat thoroughly pulverized. 

Rows should be about three feet apart. A small 
furrow two or three inches deep is sufficient. Kernels 
should be dropped eight or ten inches apart in the row 
and covered to a depth of one inch. Planting should 
be done before the moisture has had time to dry out. 
Grass and weeds must be kept down while the corn 
is making its early growth. The soil should be kept 
loose over the surface by frequent cultivation or hoe- 
ing. Instead of having two or three long rows, plant 
the crop in a square space. Two to four quarts will 
be sufficient to plant an acre. 

As soon as the plants are a few inches high, begin 
cultivation. Repeat the operation every week or ten 
days. If heavy rains cause crustation of the surface 
earth it will be necessary to cultivate oftener. Before 
planting a deep seedbed should be prepared. After 
planting cultivation should be shallow. 

Pop corn ripens in from loo to 130 days after plant- 
ing. Liberal applications of phosphatic fertilizer will 
hasten the ripening, but if too much stable manure is 
used the ripening may be retarded. It should be 



CULTIVATION OF POP CORN 1 19 

ripened before the frost arrives as after that it deterio- 
rates and will have little market value. 

When the little crop is ripe the ears are to be husked 
from the standing stalks and spread out in a well- 
ventilated room to dry and cure. They should not 
be piled up in a large heap or sacked before they are 
well dried out. It is best to leave the corn on the 
stalks until the husks are firm and dry, with none of 
their sappy condition left. The ears may be stored 
in any place where the air can circulate around them 
freely and where they are safe from moisture, birds 
and mice. Overhead racks made of narrow slats or 
wire netting do nicely for this purpose. The room is 
not to be too warm or the grain will dry out too much. 
Just a moderate temperature with good ventilation is 
required. Heating will injure the popping quality 
and food value of the product. 

Until the summer following the season in which it 
has been grown, pop corn will not be ready for mar- 
ket. Manufacturers state that June i is the proper 
time to put corn out for sale. 

Some growers, instead of sellmg their product by 
the pound to elevator men, have well-constructed cribs 
of their own. This enables them to hold their crop 
until it can be marketed advantageously. They can 
sell direct to the consumer. 

The market price of pop corn varies considerably 
from year to year. In most states the weight per 
bushel is the same for pop corn as for field corn: 56 



120 CULTIVATION OF POP CORN 

pounds shelled or 70 pounds of ears dried constitute 
a bushel. One hundred pounds of ears should yield 80 
pounds of shelled pop corn. 

It is well to have a seed plat planted with excep- 
tionally good seed in some isolated location, to fur- 
nish seed for the next year. All weak and in any way 
defective stalks should be detasseled before they get 
a chance to shed any pollen. At harvest time the 
rows should be gone over and seed ears carefully se- 
lected from the best stalks. Early maturity can be 
attained by taking seed from good, early maturing 
stalks each year. It is neither advisable nor necessary 
to procure new seed for planting each year from a 
distance. Home grown seed is much to be preferred 
because pop corn is not at its best until fully ac- 
climated. This takes several years. The yearly 
planting of a seed crop from the best of the previous 
crop will improve the strain while the corn is becoming 
adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the 
locality. 



CHAPTER XVII 

PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

Here and there we see examples of young people 
earning considerable money with plans of marketing 
produce. City families are eager to buy vegetables, 
poultry products, fruit, etc., directly from the farm, 
and this makes an opportunity for boys and girls, 
whether they live in town or country. 

Go among housekeepers and arrange to deliver to 
them once a week or oftener a certain quantity or 
variety of farm commodities, ascertaining what they 
prefer, how much they can use and what they are ac- 
customed to pay. Next visit farmers who can be 
reached conveniently and secure such products as your 
customers require. Arrange to call at regular inter- 
vals with a horse and wagon. If you are not attend- 
ing school a daily trip is feasible. If you have to hire 
the conveyance the business must be on a large enough 
scale so that it will be worth while. 

If a horse and wagon are hard to get it is possible 
to confine the whole business to farms convenient to 
railway stations five or ten miles out. Goods can be 
sent by express or parcel post and carried in baskets. 

As there is a wide margin between the prices which 

121 



122 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

farmers usually receive and those paid by consumers 
there is a chance for good profits if care is taken to 
keep down the expense of transportation. 

If young people rent a small tract of land con- 
venient to transportation, or have the use of an acre 
or two owned by their parents, they will be in a posi- 
tion to earn considerable money. At first it is best 
to raise only the more common and hardy vegetables. 

In operating a small tract of land with a view to a 
commercial business, berries and currants should not 
be overlooked. These bush fruits can to a great ex- 
tent be placed in odd spots, and they will help to make 
otherwise worthless land return quite a little money. 
Where a nice piece of ground is given up to bush fruit 
it pays to raise vegetables between the rows. Quick 
growing truck can be produced both before and after 
the berry season, and in this way the land does double 
duty and pays big dividends. The extra cultivation is 
a good thing for the soil. Where the ground which 
maintains berries is used for vegetables also a liberal 
supply of barnyard manure should be worked into the 
soil every fall. 

CELERY 

The celery crop ought to be worth at the rate of 
$i,ooo an acre. A great deal of money can be earned 
on a single town lot. It is customary to buy the 
young plants in the spring. A clean, rich, moist seed 
bed is prepared on some protected patch of ground. 
Plenty of fine compost is worked into the soil before 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 123 

and after plowing or spading. The bed is worked 
down as fine as possible and a thin scattering of wood 
ashes is worked into the surface soil. When the bed 
has been worked down till it is moist and mellow mark 
off the space in rows one foot apart in shallow drills 
and sow the seed — about an ounce to 100 feet of row. 
These are covered about a quarter of an inch deep and 
the seed firmed in with a small roller. Water is nec- 
essary at this stage, and it is best that the surface be 
kept wet till the seeds germinate. A covering of 
cloths which will shade the soil till the plants begin to 
show is advised. As the plants come through grad- 
ually remove the covers and harden them to the sun- 
light. 

Early thinning of the plants is important at this 
juncture if we are to have large, stocky plants to place 
in the permanent rows. Thin to about thirty plants 
to the foot. As the plants come on they should be 
cut back once or twice to induce greater stockiness of 
both root and top. Then comes the work of trans- 
planting. 

The soil having been worked down into shape is 
marked off in rows three feet apart with a big shovel, 
going twice in the row to get the desired depth. Then 
the furrows are worked full of moist soil mixed with 
compost, on the top of which is sprinkled a good coat- 
ing of wood ashes. This is then raked into the soil 
and a line stretched down the furrow about level with 
the surface. Have the soil moist and freshly stirred 
and set the plants about six inches apart in the row. 



124 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

Set from the first of July till the first of August for 
fall and winter use. Wet the seed bed thoroughly be- 
fore pulling the plants, and it is not a bad policy to 
pour about a half pint of water around each plant as 
set. Let the water soak down and rake in loose earth 
to cover. 

The tillage consists merely in keeping the patch free 
of weeds and the surface mulch loose. After the first 
plowing or spading begin to ridge up the soil about the 
plants with the hoe or cultivator. After the plants 
have made a good growth and nights have begun to 
get cool along in August we must begin to bleach the 
celery. 

The board method is about the handiest means for 
doing this. A board ten inches wide is set up at either 
side of the row, allowing only the tips of the leaves 
to protrude at the top. By setting the boards a little 
farther apart at the bottom and staking securely to 
their places we can expect a fine grade of celery at 
cutting time. Should cold weather set in before we 
get the crop out, dirt can be banked over the boards by 
laying a strip over their tops. 

The older method of blanching was to bank up earth 
about the plants. This is best done gradually in two 
or three operations. Soil is dug up from between the 
rows and banked around the plants — up to the tips of 
the leaves at the last time over. Care must be taken 
to have every stalk standing up straight and unbroken 
by rough handling. 

In preparing for market we must take the celery in 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 125 

on dry days before it freezes. Frozen celery rots 
quickly. Keep the stalks dry and let a bunch of earth 
adhere to the roots. Pack in moist earth and water 
frequently till ready to sell. To prepare for market, 
scrub the bunches with a stiff brush and trim off all 
yellow leaves and broken stalks. 

RADISH 

The radish is quite hardy and may be grown 
throughout the winter in hotbeds in the North, in cold 
frames in the latitude of Washington, and in the open 
ground in the South. For the home garden the seed 
should be sown in the open ground as soon as the soil 
is moderately warm. Plant in drills 12 to 18 inches 
apart, and as soon as the plants are up thin them 
slightly to prevent crowding. Radishes require to be 
grown on a quick, rich soil, and some of the earlier 
sorts can be matured in two to three weeks after 
planting. If the radishes grow slowly they will have 
a pungent flavor and will not be fit for table use. For 
a constant supply successive plantings should be made 
every two weeks, as the roots lose their crispness and 
delicate flavor if allowed to remain long in the open 
ground. 

RHUBARB 

The soil for rhubarb should be deep, and there is 
little danger of having it too rich. Like asparagus the 
seedling plants of rhubarb can be grown and trans- 
planted. Ten to twelve good hills are suflicient to 



126 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

produce all the rhubarb required by the average fam- 
ily, and these are most easily established by planting 
pieces of roots taken from another bed. Good roots 
may be secured from dealers and seedsmen at about 
$1.50 a dozen. The old hills may be divided in the 
early spring or late fall by digging away the earth on 
one side and cutting the hill in two with a sharp 
spade, the part removed being used to establish a new 
hill. 

The usual method of planting rhubarb is to set the 
plants in a single row along the garden fence, and the 
hills should be about 3 feet apart. If more than one 
row is planted the hills should be 3 >4 or 4 feet each 
way. The thick leaf stems are the part used, and 
none should be pulled from the plants the first year 
after setting. Rhubarb should receive the same treat- 
ment during winter as asparagus, and the plants 
should never be allowed to ripen seed. The roots may 
be brought into the greenhouse, pit, cold frame, or 
cellar during the winter and forced. Rhubarb does 
not thrive in warm climates. 

SALSIFY, OR VEGETABLE OYSTER 

Sow seeds of salsify during the spring in the same 
manner as for parsnips or carrots. In the South, a 
sowing may be made in summer to produce roots for 
winter use. One ounce of seed is required to plant 
100 feet of row, and on a large scale 10 pounds to the 
acre. After the plants are well established they 
should be thinned sufficiently to prevent their crowd- 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 127 

ing. The cultivation should be the same as for par- 
snips or carrots, and frequent use of a wheel hoe will 
avoid the necessity for hand weeding. Salsify may 
be dug in the autumn and stored or allowed to remain 
in the ground during the winter, as its treatment is 
the same as for parsnips. Salsify is a biennial, and 
if the roots are not dug before the second season they 
will throw up stems and produce seed. It is of a weedy 
nature and care should be taken that it does not run 
wild by seeding freely. 

PEPPERS 

Plant the seed of peppers in a hotbed, and trans- 
plant to the open ground as soon as it is warm, or sow 
the seeds in the garden after all danger of frost is past. 
When grown in the garden the plants should be in 
rows 3 feet apart and 15 to 18 inches apart in the row. 
The plants require about the same treatment as the 
tomato. There are a large number of varieties of the 
pepper, including the large sweet sorts used for pick- 
ling and the small hot kinds, such as Chili, Tabasco, 
and Cayenne. 

POTATO 

Sandy loam, fertilized with barnyard manure and a 
high percentage of potash is best for potato growing. 
The first crop should be planted as early as it is pos- 
sible to work the land. Rows should be 2 >^ to 3 feet 
apart; hills 14 to 18 inches apart. Lay off the rows 
with a one-horse plow, and drop seed in the bottom of 



128 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

the furrow. Cover seed to depth of 4 inches. In 
ten days to three weeks the sprouts will show. Frost 
does not injure the new crop if it does not touch the 
seed potatoes. Growth begins as soon as the soil is 
sufficiently warm. Surface soil should be stirred care- 
fully when the potatoes appear above ground, and as 
the plants grow, ground should be banked around them 
for support, and protection to the tuber. 

After potatoes are dug they should not be exposed 
to the sun, or any strong light while in storage. A 
cool cellar or pit is best for storing new potatoes, 
which may be covered lightly with straw, as an extra 
precaution. The ideal temperature for keeping Irish 
potatoes is between 36° and 40° F., but they will not 
withstand freezing. 

CABBAGE 

Early cabbages require a rich, warm soil in order 
that they may mature early. For late cabbages the 
soil should be heavier and more retentive of mois- 
ture and not so rich as for the early crop, as the heads 
are liable to burst. Cabbages should be set in rows 30 
to 36 inches apart and 18 to 24 inches apart in the row. 
Where the plants are set out in the autumn and al- 
lowed to remain in the ground over winter, they are 
usually placed on top of ridges. Early cabbage must 
be used soon after it has formed solid heads, as it will 
not keep during hot weather. 

Late cabbage may be buried in pits or stored in cel- 
lars or specially constructed houses. The usual 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 129 

method of storing cabbage is to dig a trench about 18 
inches deep and 3 feet wide and set the cabbage up- 
right, with the heads close together and the roots 
bedded in soil. As cold weather comes on, the heads 
are covered slightly with straw and then 3 or 4 inches 
of earth put on. Slight freezing does not injure cab- 
bage, but it should not be subjected to repeated freez- 
ing and thawing. If stored in a cellar or building, 
the heads are generally cut from the stems and stored 
on slatted shelves or in shallow bins. While in stor- 
age, cabbage should be well ventilated and kept as cool 
as possible without freezing. 

CUCUMBER 

The soil for cucumbers should be a rich sandy 
loam, rather moist, but not wet. Plant in hills 4 feet 
apart each way as soon as all danger of frost is past. 
It is a good plan to w^ork thoroughly a shovelful of 
well-rotted manure or a small handful of fertilizer into 
each hill in addition to the regular manuring of the 
land. The manure in the hill will give the plants a 
good start. Cucumbers are frequently planted in 
drills about 7 feet apart and thinned to 12 or 18 
inches apart in the row. If it is desirable to secure 
extra early cucumbers, the plants may be started in a 
hotbed and transplanted to the garden by means of 
berry boxes. In the South, cucumbers are planted in 
the open ground as early as February or March. Cu- 
cumber seedlings are easily injured by cold, even 
where no frost occurs, and throughout the northern 



130 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

part of the country the planting should be deferred 
until the soil is warm. 

While young the cucumber plants are frequently 
destroyed by a small beetle that attacks the lower part 
of the stem and the under side of the leaves. To pre- 
serve the plants some remedy will be necessary, and 
where only a few hills are grown for family use the 
beetles may be kept off by covering the plants with 
frames over which fly screen or mosquito netting has 
been stretched. Another method of protecting the 
plants is to set an arch of wire or one-half of a barrel 
hoop over the hill and spread a piece of mosquito net- 
ting over this support. The edges of the netting may 
be held down by covering with earth, and as soon as 
the plants are beyond danger of attack the netting may 
be stored for future use. 

Cucumbers should receive frequent shallow cultiva- 
tion until the vines begin to run freely; after this very 
little attention is required except to pull out stray 
weeds as they may appear. In order to keep the vines 
in good bearing condition, no fruit should be allowed 
to ripen, and when grown for pickles the fruits should 
all be removed while quite small. 

As cucumbers are subject to several diseases, the 
old vines and fruits should all be destroyed and the 
crop should not be planted two years in succession on 
the same land. As a rule garden cucumbers and mel- 
ons will not be greatly injured by diseases. The fact 
that the product is handled while green and firm is very 
much in its favor. 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 13 1 
EGG PLANT 

The plants for this crop should be started and 
handled in the same manner as described later for the to- 
mato. After the weather has become settled and the 
ground quite warm, set the plants in the garden in 
rows 3 feet apart and 2 feet apart in the row. 

HORSE-RADISH 

Horse-radish will thrive best in a deep, rich soil, 
where there is plenty of moisture. The rows should 
be 3 feet apart and the plants 12 to 18 inches apart 
in the row. Tops cut from large roots or pieces of 
small roots are used for planting. A comparatively 
few hills of horse-radish will be sufficient for family 
use, and the roots required for starting can be secured 
of seedmen for 25 or 30 cents a dozen. This crop will 
require no particular cultivation except to keep down 
the weeds, and it is inclined to become a weed itself 
if not controlled. 

The large fleshy roots are prepared for use by peel- 
ing and grating. The grated root is treated with a 
little salt and vinegar and served as a relish with 
meats, oysters, etc. The roots should be dug during 
the winter or early spring before the leaves start. 
After being treated with salt and vinegar the grated 
root may be bottled for summer use. 

LETTUCE 

This crop attains its best development in a rich 
sandy loam in which there is plenty of organic matter. 



132 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

Lettuce thrives best during the early spring or late 
autumn and will not withstand the heat of summer. 
In order that the leaves may be crisp and tender, it is 
necessary to force the growth. The usual method of 
growing lettuce for home use is to sow the seeds 
broadcast in a bed and remove the leaves from the 
plants as rapidly as they become large enough for use. 
A much better method is either to thin or transplant 
the seedlings and allow the plants to form rather com- 
pact heads and then cut the entire plant for use. 

In the Southern States the seeds may be sown dur- 
ing the autumn and the plants allowed to remain in 
the ground over winter. In the North the seeds may 
be sown in a hotbed or cold frame and the seedlings 
transplanted to the open ground, or the seeding may 
be in rows in the garden and the plants thinned to 5 
or 6 inches in the row. Lettuce may be grown in 
rows about 12 inches apart. In order to produce crisp 
and tender lettuce during the summer months, it may 
be necessary to provide some form of partial shading. 

MUSKMELON 

A sandy loam with plenty of well-rotted barnyard 
manure will be found to be adapted to the cultivation 
of the muskmelon. When commercial fertilizer is 
used instead of manure, it should be applied at the rate 
of from 500 to 1,000 pounds of high-grade material 
to the acre. The muskmelon requires a long season 
to develop and is easily injured by frost or even by 
cool weather. 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 133 

For an early crop in the North, start the hills in a 
hotbed in berry boxes and plant out after the soil be- 
comes warm. For the main crop throughout the 
country the seeds are planted in the open ground as 
soon as the soil is reasonably warm. Place the hills 
about 6 feet apart each way and 8 or lo seeds in a hill. 
After the plants become established, thin out all but 
the four best ones. Another method is to sow in 
drills and thin to single plants i8 inches to 2 feet apart. 
Good cultivation should be maintained until the vines 
interfere. 

SPINACH 

Spinach thrives in a rather cool climate and attains 
its best development in the Middle South, where it 
can be grown in the open ground during the winter. 
Cuttings are made at any time during the winter 
when the fields are not frozen or covered with snow. 
When the weather moderates in the early spring, the 
plants make a new growth, and a large crop of early 
greens is available. 

In the North spinach can be planted in the autumn 
and carried over winter by mulching with straw or 
leaves. Sow spinach seeds in drills i foot apart at 
the rate of i ounce to lOO feet of row, or lo to 12 
pounds to the acre. A rich loam gives plants a quick 
growth. 

SQUASH 

There are two types of squash, the bush varieties, 
planted in hills 4 or 5 feet apart each way, and the 



134 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

running varieties, which require from 8 to i6 feet for 
their development. They require the same soil and 
cultural methods as the muskmelon. Squashes should 
be handled carefully to avoid bruising and should be 
stored in a moderately warm, well-ventilated room. 
The Hubbard and Boston Marrow are the most com- 
mon varieties. 

TOMATO 

In the North tomato plants are started in hotbeds 
and transplanted once or twice to harden the stock ; in 
the South a cold bed or frame is sufficient, protected 
by cotton cloth during cool weather. In the southern 
parts of Florida and Texas large fields of tomatoes are 
planted in the same manner as corn, by placing five or 
six seeds in a hill where the plants are to be grown. 
After the seedlings become established, all but the two 
best are thinned out, and later but one is left in the hill. 
The tomato is one of the crops that can be hastened to 
maturity by carefully growing the plants indoors and 
transplanting to the open ground. Pot-grown plants 
are especially desirable, and they may be brought to 
the blooming period by the time it is warm enough to 
safely plant them in the garden. If the plants are not 
to be trained but allowed to lie on the ground they 
should be set about 4 feet apart each way. If trimmed 
and tied to stakes they may be planted in rows 3 
feet apart, and 18 inches apart in the row. The quality 
is greatly improved by keeping tomatoes off the ground, 
using either trellises or stakes. 



PRODUCTIOX AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 135 
CARDOON 

The cardoon is a thistle-like plant, very similar in 
appearance to the Globe artichoke, but is grown as an 
annual. The seeds are sown in early spring in a hot- 
bed or cold frame and the plants transplanted later to 
the open ground. The cardoon should be planted in 
rows 3 feet apart and i8 inches apart in the row on 
rich soil, where it can secure plenty of moisture and 
make rapid growth. Toward autumn the leaves are 
drawn together and the center blanched in the same 
manner as endive. If intended for winter use, the 
leaves are not blanched in the garden, but the plants 
are lifted with considerable earth adhering to the 
roots and stored closely in a dark pit or cellar to 
blanch. 

The blanching leaf stems are used for making sal- 
ads, soups, and stews. 

CARROT 

The culture of the carrot is practically the same as 
the parsnip, except that carrots are not thinned as 
much and are allowed to grow almost as thickly as 
planted. Carrots should be dug in the autumn and 
stored the same as parsnips or turnips. Any surplus 
can be fed sparingly to horses, mules or cattle. 

The roots of the carrot are used at all times of the 
year, mostly in soups, but they may be boiled and 
served with butter or creamed. There is more food 
value in carrots than is commonly understood. 



136 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 
CAULIFLOWER 

Cauliflower requires a rich, moist soil, and thrives 
best under irrigation. Cauliflower will not withstand 
as much frost as cabbage. The culture is the same 
as for cabbage until the heads begin to develop, after 
which the leaves may be tied together over the heads 
in order to exclude the light and keep the heads white. 

The tender heads of cauliflower are boiled and 
served with butter, or creamed, and are also used for 
pickling. 

CHICORY 

Chicory is grown for two or three purposes. The 
root of this plant is the common adulterant of coffee 
and large quantities are used for this purpose. The 
commercial growing of chicory is confined to a few 
sections, as the crop will not thrive on every kind of 
soil. 

A deep, rich loam, without excessive amounts of 
clay or sand, is desirable, and soil that is not too rich 
in nitrogenous matter is best suited to the production 
of roots. 

The roots of chicory are frequently placed in soil 
under a greenhouse bench or in a warm cellar and cov- 
ered with a foot or more of straw, or with a light 
covering of straw and then several inches of warm 
manure. Under this covering the leaves will be 
formed in a solid head, which is known on the market 
as witloof. 

Chicory has run wild in some parts of the country 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 137 

and is considered a bad weed. The handsome blue 
flowers of the chicory, which are borne the second 
season, are very attractive. 

As a pot herb chicory is used hke spinach, but the 
leaves should be boiled in two waters to remove the 
bitter taste. As a salad the roots are dug in the 
autumn and planted in cellars or under a greenhouse 
bench, where they produce an abundance of blanched 
leaves, which are eaten raw. The blanched leaves are 
also boiled and used as greens. 

CRESS 

Under the name of cress there are two forms, water 
cress and the upland cress. The upland cress, some- 
times called peppergrass, is easily grown from seed 
sown in drills a foot apart. /\s the plants last but a 
short time, it will be necessary to make a sowing every 
few days if a continuous supply is desired. 

Water cress can be grown all the year in small open 
ditches containing running spring water. It is best 
and most easily produced in water from rather warm 
springs in limestone regions. A sufficient supply for 
family use can be grown in a small spring-fed brook, 
and the plants may be started either from small pieces 
of plants or from seed. Cress is used in salads, to 
which it imparts a pleasant pungency. 

MUSTARD 

Any good soil will produce mustard. The basal 
leaves of mustard are used for greens, and as the 



138 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

plants require but a short time to reach the proper 
stage for use, frequent sowings should be made. Sow 
seeds thickly in drills as early as possible in the spring, 
or for late use, in September or October. White mus- 
tard is the commonest form. 

ONIONS 

A rich sandy loam containing plenty of humus is 
best suited to the production of onions. This crop 
has been grown very successfully on the muck beds of 
the States bordering on the Great Lakes. The usual 
plan on a small scale is to plant one or two quarts of 
"sets" in drills 12 to 18 inches apart and 2 to 3 
inches apart in the row, covering about an inch deep. 
When a large acreage is to be grown the soil is made 
very fine and smooth and the onion seed is sown in 
drills and then thinned to 2 or 3 inches apart after 
the plants become established. For the best results 
from seed, sow in cold frames during the fall or in 
a hotbed in the early spring and transplant to the open 
ground as soon as the soil is in good condition to work. 

Onions require frequent shallow cultivation and it 
may be necessary to resort to hand work in order to 
keep the crop free from weeds. If it is desired to 
hasten the maturity of the bulbs by preventing con- 
tinued growth of the tops, this may be accomplished 
by rolling an empty barrel over the rows and break- 
ing down the tops. After the tops are practically 
dead the onion bulbs should be removed from the soil 
and spread in a dry, well ventilated place to cure, after 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 139 

which they may be stored in crates or bags for winter 
use. 

There are several kinds of onions that may remain 
in the soil over v^inter. The Multiplier or Potato 
onion can be planted from sets in the autumn and will 
produce excellent early green onions. This type of 
onion is peculiar in that a large onion contains a num- 
ber of distinct hearts, and if planted will produce a 
number of small onions. On the other hand, a small 
onion contains but one heart and will produce a large 
onion. A few large onions should be planted each 
year to produce the sets for the following year's 
planting. 

Another variety is the Top or Tree onion, which 
produces a large number of bulblets above ground on 
the top of a stem. The small bulbs can be planted in 
the autumn and will produce onions the following 
season. 

The small onion known as the shallot is frequently 
planted in early spring for its small bulbs, or 
'' cloves," which are used in the same manner as 
onions. The leaves are also ased for flavoring. 
Where the climate is not severe, the seed may be sown 
in the autumn, and the leaves which are used for flavor- 
ing soups will be ready for use in the spring. 

PARSLEY 

Parsley seeds should be soaked a few hours in 
warm water, then sown and treated in the same man- 
ner as celery seed. In the North, parsley will live 



140 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

over winter in a cold frame or pit, and in the South, 
in open ground. Parsley cannot withstand the heat 
of the summer. Plants should be set in rows 12 inches 
apart and every 6 inches in the row. 

PARSNIP 

Sow seeds early, in drills 18 inches to 3 feet apart. 
Thin plants to stand 6 inches apart in the rows. Rich 
soil and frequent cultivation are necessary for suc- 
cessful growing. Roots can be dug late in the fall, 
or allowed to remain and dug as required for use. 
Frozen roots have an unusually tasty flavor. All 
roots not used during the winter should be dug from 
the garden as they will produce weedy seed the second 
season. When parsnip has been allowed to run wild, 
the root is considered poisonous. 

PEAS 

Garden peas require a rather rich and friable soil 
with good drainage in order that the first plantings 
may be made early in the spring. Fertilizers that are 
high in nitrogenous matter should not be applied to 
the land immediately before planting, as they will have 
a tendency to produce too great growth of vines at 
the expense of pods. Land that has been well 
manured the previous year will be found satisfactory 
without additional fertilizer. A sandy loam is to be 
preferred for growing peas, but a good crop may be 
produced on clay soils ; however, the pods will be a 
few days later in forming. Peas are easily grown and 



PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 141 

form one of the most palatable of garden products. 

For the best results peas should be planted in the 
bottom of a furrow 6 inches in depth and the seeds 
covered with not more than 2 or 3 inches of soil. If 
the soil is heavy the covering should be less than 2 
inches. After the plants attain a height of 4 or 5 
inches the soil should be worked in around them until 
the trench is filled. The rows for peas should be 3 
feet apart for the dwarf sorts and 4 feet apart for 
the tall kinds. A pint of seed will plant about 100 
feet of single row. Many growers follow the prac- 
tice of planting in a double row with a 6-inch space 
between. The double-row method is especially 
adapted for the varieties that require some form of 
support, as a trellis can be placed between the two 
rows. 

Brush stuck in the ground will answer for a sup- 
port for the peas to climb upon. Three-foot poultry 
netting makes a desirable trellis. If peas are planted 
for autumn use, the earliest varieties should be em- 
ployed. 

ENDIVE 

The endive is a form of chicory. Sow the seeds 
thinly in drills, and when the plants are well established 
thin to 8 inches. Water and cultivate thoroughly in 
order that a good growth of leaves may be made. 
When the leaves are 6 to 8 inches in length draw them 
together and tie them so the heart will blanch. The 
leaves should not be tied up while wet or decay will 



142 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF VEGETABLES 

follow. The heads should be used as soon as blanched. 
For winter use sow the seeds rather late and remove 
the plants, with a ball of earth adhering to the roots, 
to a cellar or cold frame, and blanch during the winter 
as required for use. 

Endive is used as a salad at times of the year when 
lettuce and similar crops are out of season. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

LARGE RETURNS FROM SUCCESSION CROPS 

People are just beginning to grasp the idea of suc- 
cession crops. Land properly handled may be made 
to do double duty and add greatly to acreage profits 
without decreasing soil fertility. 

This kind of intensive work is especially important 
on little tracts such as boys and girls may cultivate. 
Even in the extreme North two or three crops can be 
produced on a piece of ground in one season, pro- 
vided care is taken to make the right combination. 
A scheme like this is feasible : 

Peas, followed by cabbage, beans, tomatoes or 
celery. 

Onions, beets, beans and squash, followed by kale, 
turnip, kohlrabi or radishes. 

Lettuce, followed by beans and tomatoes. 

Spring spinach, followed by beans and tomatoes. 

Early carrots, followed by spinach, kale, turnips 
and winter radishes. 

Early corn, followed by a second crop of corn, by 
beans, tomatoes or celery. 

For intercropping the following may be used: 

Radishes with beets, carrots or parsnips, tomatoes 
or corn. 

143 



144 LARGE RETURNS FROM SUCCESSION CROPS 

Squashes, pumpkins with corn. 

Early onions, with cauliflower or cabbage. 

Lettuce with early cabbage, corn or tomatoes. 

Space in the garden may be saved by planting corn 
between alternate rows of potatoes after the last culti- 
vation, and when the potatoes are harvested winter 
turnips may be planted, thus keeping the ground busy 
all the season. If early peas are planted three feet 
apart, corn may be started between the rows, and when 
the peas are off squash seeds may be put in. It is even 
possible to have pole beans climb up the corn stalks, 
although this is carrying intensive culture to ex- 
tremes. 

When the ground is to be kept covered all the season, 
it is necessary to have it rich, to cultivate it thoroughly 
and to use the hoe freely from spring until fall. If 
the owner of a little place is willing to observe these 
three points, it will be easy for him to grow an amount 
of produce that will amaze his neighbors. Fall plow- 
ing is essential and manure should be spread quite 
liberally and covered to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. 

What to grow in the hotbed in order to get ready 
for this sort of intensive gardening depends on your 
market, or what you want to use it for. Leaf lettuce 
and radishes are always in demand in early spring. 
They are somewhat easier to grow than other crops. 
For lettuce, start a small bed early and transplant in 
spaces 4x5 inches when they have grown to the second 
leaf. The soil should be moist, but not wet. Do not 
water them until after the plants get a good start. 



LARGE RETURNS FROM SUCCESSION CROPS 145 

This matter of watering is a particular part of the 
work. Water should be applied only during the early 
hours of the day. Plenty of ventilation is also im- 
portant, and the edge of the sash should be raised, ac- 
cording to the heat of the day, closing up in time to 
hold the heat after the sun goes down. 

Radishes are easy to raise, but if they are forced 
too much they are liable to go mostly to tops. A few 
days longer in growing will give them better quality. 
All small, imperfect seed ought to be sifted out. The 
stand should average from one-half inch to an inch 
in the row, and the rows ought to be 5 inches apart. 

It usually pays to start early tomatoes, cabbage, 
cauliflower and other tender vegetables in the hot- 
house, as thus they get a good start before the ground 
is warm enough for them. Products which pay $200 
to $400 an acre under expert management may be 
grouped in the following order to illustrate relative 
value : 

Group I — Asparagus, tomatoes, celery, lettuce, 
peppers, beans and onions. 

Group 2 — Late w^hite potatoes, sweet corn, can- 
taloupes and watermelons. 

Group 3 — Cabbage, squashes, cucumbers, peas, 
beets, radishes and pumpkins. 

When young people take up this matter of double- 
cropping they should aim to make the season as long 
as possible and to get their commodities into market 
early enough so that they will reap the benefit of the 
highest prices. A little study will show them which 



146 LARGE RETURNS FROM SUCCESSION CROPS 

are the hardy and profitable early products. Usually 
it pays to start vegetables in a hotbed, but whether this 
is done or not when the peas, lettuce, radishes and 
other early crops are out of the way the ground can 
be utilized for celery, tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, 
cabbage, etc. 

When the sweet corn is disposed of late in the sum- 
mer it is still possible to raise rutabagas, beets and 
carrots. Three crops in a season are nothing pheno- 
menal even in the northern states, and it makes a 
kind of farming that is interesting and worth while. 
Anybody going into this kind of work should look 
out for the money-making possibilities, as it is use- 
less to try to keep up interest in a project unless it 
pays. 

It will be noticed anywhere in the country that if 
the owner of a farm encourages his family to take an 
interest in garden management the home premises will 
look well and become more profitable than they other- 
wise would. 

Young people take a keen interest in novelty farm- 
ing. They will delight in studying out plans for suc- 
cession crops, and in this way they will make a garden 
pay well. A fact which should be kept in mind is 
that truck-growing may be made highly profitable on 
any farm, and therefore should not be treated as a 
side line. For instance, if a farmer who is accus- 
tomed to a return of $20 to $40 an acre from his big 
field crops can see a revenue of $200 an acre from 



LARGE RETURNS FROM SUCCESSION CROPS 147 

vegetables, berries and flowers, he should be willing 
to make this feature a little more prominent than it 
usually is, especially when it serves to stimulate the 
interest of his sons and daughters. 



CHAPTER XIX 

ASPARAGUS GROWING 

One of the standard vegetable crops which affords 
a considerable income from a very small piece of 
ground is asparagus. This can be handled in such a 
way as to give both early and late crops and thus take 
advantage of the market at its best periods. 

All young people who have even part of a town lot 
at their disposal should learn something about aspara- 
gus growing. Practical experiments can be made with 
a very small bed of this product, and after one or two 
seasons if there seem to be liberal profits in the busi- 
ness it may not be difficult to secure enough land to 
enable the amateur gardeners to work up a large trade. 
The best plan for making asparagus beds pay is to 
canvass among families in the neighborhood and take 
orders up to the limit of production. In this way the 
best prices are obtained, and there will be great satis- 
faction in catering to a select trade. 

While this chapter is mainly on asparagus growing 
I will take occasion to impress on the minds of young 
readers that a number of such products should be man- 
aged together in any gardening scheme. It is unwise 
to risk your whole source of income on one commodity. 
Such farming is apt to be ruinous in any case. There- 

148 



ASPARAGUS GROWING 149 

fore, while I wish to point out some of the advantages 
of handling asparagus, I would strongly urge all who 
are working along that line of industry to bring a 
variety of other vegetables into their projects. Those 
who are able to devote considerable time to gardening 
and marketing w^ill do well to select a line of products 
which are suitable for canning. This work leads to 
big profits and a steady business. 

In the present condition of asparagus growing, and 
because of the means of transportation now at the 
command of most growers, earliness is not so im- 
portant a feature as it would be wxre all cities and 
towns supplied by their own immediate suburbs. 
However, it may be of some advantage to the grower 
to have an extra early variety as they are first in the 
market, or it might be profitable to a " local " grower 
to have both early and late, in order to have a long 
cutting season as well as the command of early prices 
if his market depends entirely on local supplies. In 
the northern localities there is really not much ad- 
vantage gained from early asparagus as the market 
has undoubtedly already been amply supplied by 
southern growers and the price thereby somewhat de- 
pressed. 

Many asparagus growers contract to deliver all their 
product to the cannery at a fixed rate, and for these 
growers the early variety has no attractions, unless 
universally grown, as the cannery only begins opera- 
tions when crops of considerable quantities are sure to 
be delivered to them. 



I50 ASPARAGUS GROWING 

From early in March until July outdoor-grown 
asparagus is on the market, the earliest coming from 
our Southeastern seacoast and the latest from New 
England and northwestern New York, with the dif- 
ferent intermediate localities sending in their quota 
some time during this period. 

Six weeks from date of beginning to cut, or per- 
haps, if the bed is very vigorous, eight weeks there- 
from, one should cease cutting and permit the suc- 
ceeding shoots to develop, that the roots may have a 
chance to recuperate for the next season's crop. 
Young beds, however, are not cut for market until 
the second spring after having been set out, and then 
only a light harvest should be made, lasting perhaps 
three weeks, as the roots will not stand a full harvest 
of six or eight weeks before they are three years old 
without suffering permanent injury. 

If green asparagus is desired, the stalks need be 
cut only so far beneath the surface as to furnish a 9 
or 10 inch spear, the major part of which, say 6 inches 
or more, will be green, and of course above ground. 
If white asparagus is sought for, the rows will have 
been ridged from 10 to 15 inches above the crowns, 
and the spears must be cut as soon as they show at, 
and before they peep above, the surface. This means 
cutting 9 or 10 inches below the surface. To accom- 
plish this, long chisel-like knives of various shapes are 
used. These knives are from 12 to 15 inches long, 
and the cutting edge is on the end. 

Cutting should be done at least every day, and when 



ASPARAGUS GROWING 151 

regetation is rapid twice each day will be necessary for 
white asparagus, and is often desirable when the green 
sort is being cut. 

If a grower is unwilling or unable to exercise the 
necessary care in producing seed it would be better 
not to attempt it, but to depend upon some reliable 
dealer, avoiding those whose claims to patronage are 
based upon cheapness of stock. 

A careful selection should be made of seed-bearing 
shoots which possess the desired characteristics. The 
seed should be carefully developed before being gath- 
ered and the young plants should receive the best at- 
tention. Both in planting and subsequent attention 
the bed should receive thorough and rational treat- 
ment, otherwise it will not be a success. 

An observant grower will note two facts in con- 
nection with this branch of gardening; each year some 
clumps produce earlier, larger and finer spears and 
that some stalks bear seed while others do not. Or- 
dinarily non-seedbearing stalks bear the largest spears. 

During the spring cutting of the year preceding 
that in which the seed is to be saved, the clumps pro- 
ducing the largest, finest and earliest spears should be 
marked. Four or five seed-bearing to one producing 
non-seed-bearing stalks, which grow very compact, 
should be selected in order that the pollen may be 
effective. In the spring one or two of the earliest 
stalks in each of the hills should be permitted to grow, 
cutting the later-appearing spears as is done with 
spears intended for market. These early stalks of 



152 ASPARAGUS GROWING 

both male and female plants will bloom together before 
any other stalks, and the blooms on the female plants 
will be fertilized with the pollen of the selected male 
plants. This is of importance, for on proper fertiliza- 
tion depends the purity of the seed as well as the 
vigor of the resultant plants. 

Not all seed of even a good plant properly fertilized 
should be used for reproduction, as of the seed gath- 
ered from any plant some will be better than others. 
Only the largest, plumpest, best-matured seed should 
be used, for by saving these the most nearly typical 
plants of the sort will be more certainly produced. 
The selection of the best seed from typical plants is 
as essential to success as are good soil, thorough culti- 
vation, and heavy manuring. 

The best seed are produced from the lower part of 
the stalk, hence it is well to top the plant after the 
seed are well set, taking off about lo inches, and to 
remove the berries from the upper branches, that all 
the strength may go to the full development of the 
more desirable berries. If, after this has been done, 
there is more than sufficient seed for the purpose de- 
sired, a second discrimination can be made between 
the seed of plants which produce numerous berries 
and those which are shy bearers, the latter being de- 
sirable, as this indicates a tendency in the plant to 
produce stalk rather than fruit, and it is as a stalk 
producer that asparagus is valuable. 

Harvesting, cleaning, and preserving the seed is, of 
course, to be done carefully; the separation of the 



ASPARAGUS GROWING 153 

heavy and light seed can be accomplished by means of 
water, while the larger can be selected from the re- 
sultant mass by the use of a properly meshed sieve. 

When the berries are scarlet red and fully ripe, the 
entire plant is cut near the ground and put away where 
it is free from rain or dampness, and safe from the 
attack of birds or from other damage. 

When there is somewhat more leisure, the berries 
are stripped off, soaked in water for thirty-six or 
forty-eight hours to soften the skin and pulp of the 
berry, and then rubbed between the hands until the 
black seed are freed entirely from the pulp. Spread 
and dry and put away in a paper or linen bag until 
needed. It is not wise to use seed over 2 years old, 
although they will retain some vitality for several 
years. 

Fresh seed may be distinguished by the uniform 
smooth surface and the brilliantly black scale ; the old 
seed have a smutty, gray color, and the surface is much 
roughened and wrinkled. One pound of seed will 
produce about 3,000 sprouts, and should be sown in a 
light, rich, sandy soil in row^s about 15 inches apart 
and I Yi inches deep ; so thinly should the seed be sown 
that the plants w^ill not stand closer than 1% or 2 
inches, and these should afterwards be thinned by hand 
to about 3 inches apart, care being taken to leave the 
strongest and most thrifty shoots. 

Careful weeding and hoeing are needed throughout 
the growing season, and in dry weather irrigation will 
greatly increase their growth. 



154 ASPARAGUS GROWING 

Asparagus will grow on most soils, and will yield 
large crops upon stiff soils ; but for the purpose of the 
grower for market, a light sandy soil of fair fertility 
is much to be preferred, both because of the earliness 
with which it produces marketable spears and the ease 
with which it is cultivated. 

A soil on which water stands after rain, or under 
which the standing subsurface water is near the sur- 
face, into which the roots are liable to penetrate, is 
to be avoided. Of course, such a soil, if otherwise 
suitable, can be made fit by a thorough system of 
underdrainage, since an occasional overflow, or even 
a submergence of the beds for several days, is not 
necessarily injurious if the drainage, either natural or 
artificial, is good. There are instances where estab- 
lished beds have been under water for a lengthy period 
during heavy spring rains or very high water and 
were not injured. 

The soil should be free of roots, stones, or any 
trash that will not readily disintegrate or that will 
interfere with the growth of the spears. Yet the 
writer knows a rather stiff but naturally well-drained 
soil which produces early and fine asparagus, notwith- 
standing the fact that it is full of large gravel, some of 
the stones being twice the size of a man's fist. 

The use of a light dressing of fish manure several 
times during the season is recommended, as this fer- 
tilizer is excellent and cheap. 

The application of liquid manure during the early 
growing season is of undoubted benefit, and the ad- 



ASPARAGUS GROWING 155 

dition of potash and phosphoric acid to the stable 
manure will make the latter much more valuable and 
bring its proportions nearer to those of a complete 
fertilizer. 

When potash salts (kainit or muriate) are used, the 
application of salt will be superfluous, even if it is 
ever necessary. On clayey soils salt is always danger- 
ous, causing the soils to run badly and become pasty, 
while its benefits, except as a weed destroyer, are of a 
doubtful character. 

The time of applying manure on beds, and the posi- 
tion where it should be placed, are of some importance. 
In the use of stable manure, both writers upon the 
subject and growers actually engaged in producing 
asparagus for the market almost unanimously state 
that " in the autumn, after the stalks have matured and 
have been cut, manure should be applied on top of 
the rows." Some give the caution not to put it just 
over the crowns, lest the shoots next spring be in- 
jured by contact with it. 

The popularity which asparagus has achieved dur- 
ing recent years is remarkable. Formerly a luxury 
on the tables of the rich, it is now, during the season, 
a vegetable seen daily upon the tables of people of 
moderate or even of small incomes. It is also fre- 
quently recommended as an article of diet for the sick 
and convalescent. 

The fact that asparagus appears in the market at 
a time of the year in which few or no other fresh 
vegetables are available has had much to do with its 



156 ASPARAGUS GROWING 

increased consumption in our cities, the canned product 
being almost equal to the fresh article, and this has 
increased its use, being as it were a lengthening of 
the season. Growth is also easily forced out of its 
regular season, thus making the vegetable available 
for use from the beginning of December throughout 
the entire winter and almost until the regular spring 
season appears, but this product of the gardener's skill 
is naturally quite expensive. Field culture, too, is one 
of the most interesting innovations of the present age, 
and one which has been attended with the most strik- 
ing success. 

Within the last few years the cultivation of aspara- 
gus has been greatly extended, yet the demand is still 
greater than the supply, an indication that there is 
still room for an extension of beds by those already 
in the business and for the establishment of beds by 
those who have as yet given no attention to this branch 
of gardening. Every kitchen garden should have its 
bed, and it is hardly to be doubted that a diffusion of 
knowledge concerning the later and improved methods 
of culture, with their reduced cost and lightened work, 
would do much to increase the popularity of the 
vegetable, and bring about its cultivation in gardens 
where it has never found a place, but where its intro- 
duction would add greatly to the present diet of the 
family. 

To the asparagus grower there are different methods 
by which plants can be secured. The seeds may be 
purchased, saved from a former growth or the young 



1 



ASPARAGUS GROWING 157 

plants may be purchased from a seedsman or pro- 
fessional grower. The second method is the quickest 
way to start a bed as well as the most easily disposed 
of. It is suggested that roots over 2 years old be re- 
jected, and only i-year old roots selected if a sufficient 
number can be secured, as the latter are much better 
and will in the course of a few years produce more 
and larger spears to the plant and yield profitable crops 
for a longer period. It is best to deal with reliable 
firms; they will be more likely to supply plants of both 
the kind and age desired. It is extremely difficult for 
any one not an expert to distinguish the difference 
between the various sorts, and doubtless many 
" varieties " are often supplied from the same lot of 
roots; nor is it easy to tell the difference between a 
strong, well-grown i-year plant and a small and 
stunted 2-year old (the left over of last year's supply) 
left unmanured, uncultivated the second season, that 
the development might be retarded. 

For the above reasons only reliable seedsmen should 
be trusted, or the seed should be procured from some 
neighbor who has the desired variety and has taken 
proper care in producing and saving the seed, if the 
first plan is to be followed. If one already has an 
asparagus bed of the desired sort, producing fine spears, 
and of the proper age (8 to 12 years old) for seed 
production, it is always best to save seed from it for 
new plantings. 



CHAPTER XX 

SUCCESS WITH MUSHROOMS 

Boys and girls in their spare time can do well with 
mushrooms. There is no hard work in the project, 
but there must be watchfulness and intelligent care. 

In raising mushrooms they do not require more 
space than can be had on an ordinary city lot. In 
many cases people make money fast by using an or- 
dinary cellar. Closed sheds, barns or caves will serve 
the purpose, the first object being to secure a steady 
temperature at 55 to 58 degrees. The air should be 
moist, but there need be no sloppiness or flooding. 

The hot weather of summer is unfavorable to this 
product, and consequently the best results are obtained 
when the weather is cool. However, as the market 
is steady it is worth while to get a place where the 
sun can be excluded and the temperature kept at the 
range stated. This is best accomplished in an under- 
ground room. In most cases failures in mushroom 
raising have been due to one or more of the following 
causes : 

The use of poor spawn, or of spawn which has been 
killed by improper storage. 

Spawning at a temperature injuriously high. 

iS8 



SUCCESS WITH MUSHROOMS 159 

The use of too much water either at the time of 
spawning or later. 

Unfavorable temperature during the growing period. 

In the growing of mushrooms for commercial pur- 
poses the beds should be constructed of stable manure 
which has been fermented or composted. Many ex- 
periments have been made looking toward the sub- 
stitution of other composts or waste products for stable 
manure, but nothing has been found which may be 
more highly recommended. Fresh manure should be 
obtained, and this should include the litter used for 
bedding the animals, unless the latter consists of coarse 
weeds. It is a great mistake to attempt to use manure 
free from straw. Again, stable manure which has 
been well trampled is nearly always well preserved, 
and is frequently much richer than any other kind. 

The manure should be piled in heaps about three 
feet deep, when well pressed down with the fork, and 
these piles may be of considerable extent. It should 
be watered until well moistened throughout, but not 
drenched. In the course of four or five days, or a 
week, it will be necessary to fork over the manure. A 
second turning will be required usually in from seven 
to ten days, and it may be necessary to water again if 
the material has suffered considerable drying out. If 
well pressed down and merely moist, the manure will 
not burn. 

In from fifteen to twenty-one days the temperature 
will begin to fall, the violence of decomposition will 
begin to show a subsidence, and the compost will be 



i6o SUCCESS WITH MUSHROOMS 

ready for construction of the beds. The bacteria of 
rapid decay will become less and less abundant, and 
finally, when the beds are prepared, the spawn will be 
able to grow in spite of the bacteria present. 

The beds should be ten or twelve inches deep, and 
when the manure has been placed its temperature ought 
to be about 70 degrees, while that of the room is 55 
to 58. The heat of a bed may be slackened by mix- 
ing in a little light soil or by turning the manure. 
Only enough moisture is needed to keep the bed from 
drying out. 

In mushroom growing one of the first requisites is 
that of securing a fresh, reliable spawn. This material 
is easily injured by even a short period of storage 
under improper conditions. In the past small growers 
have suffered most, as they frequently purchase any 
spawn which is on the market. 

The English brick spawn is probably the best ob- 
tainable. Reliable seedsmen will refund the money if 
the spawn is unsatisfactory, or furnish a new supply. 
These bricks are broken into pieces about two inches 
square and placed under the surface not more than two 
inches. They may be a foot apart. After the mush- 
rooms have matured they must be picked every day or 
two. When a bed ceases to bear it must be replaced 
with fresh manure and spawn. Beds may be made in 
boxes or on shelves, as well as on the floor. Mush- 
rooms sell for 50 cents a pound as an average. 

They must be picked when they are fresh and 
plump, and just before the frill which joins the cap 



SUCCESS WITH MUSHROOMS l6l 

and stem breaks apart. If the stems are growing too 
long, pick them a little earlier than otherwise. Never 
wait for the crop to be larger. Each mushroom must 
be picked when it is ripe — not when some more will 
possibly be ready. Great care should be used in 
handling them for they are extremely delicate, and 
bruise easily. No buyer wants discolored mushrooms, 
you must remember. In picking, do not cut off with 
a knife, but pull them, root and all. A gentle but 
firm grasp of the stem will bring the plant up, then 
place root end down in the basket, for marketing. Of 
course the actual root is cut off after the mushroom is 
out of the ground, but the stem is as valuable as the 
cap, so do not waste it. Beds from which the mush- 
rooms are pulled are in better condition for the next 
crop, because there are no decayed roots to furnish 
breeding places for destructive insects. This is a 
feature of the culture which must be kept in mind, 
for mushrooms are as susceptible as other crops, and 
must be protected in the same way. Summer crops 
are often infected with maggots, and no remedy has 
been found which effectually cures them. Cool cellars 
are the safest places for mushroom beds, and clean 
beds are the surest to produce large and perfect crops. 



CHAPTER XXI 

CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 

The canning of fruits and vegetables affords an op- 
portunity for pin money or a paying business to the 
young people who live at home and are fortunate 
enough to have some knowledge of the practical side 
of housekeeping. Boys as well as girls can handle this 
proposition — for some of the most successful 
amateur canners I know are boys of about the age of 
fifteen. I say those who are fortunate in having a 
practical working knowledge of housekeeping because 
for every girl who can bake a cake and make a dress 
there are half a dozen who cannot, and who, more 
is the pity, seem to be proud of their ignorance and 
uselessness. This is an age when efficiency is the 
watchword, and the girl with the homely accomplish- 
ments of everyday housework may congratulate her- 
self. 

In a single year recently 7,793 canning-club girls who 
rendered full reports of their work put up 1,918,024 
cans, jars, and other containers of fruits and vegeta- 
bles, which were worth, according to conservative es- 
timates, $284,880, of which nearly $200,000 could 
be credited to profit. It is estimated that the average 

162 



CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 163 

profit per member was $23.30. These figures, of 
course, do not include the products of many thou- 
sands of other children who failed to send in accurate 
reports but who, it is known, raised and canned thou- 
sands of dollars' worth of products from their own 
gardens and from their fathers' truck patches. 

SIMPLE APPARATUS NEEDED 

For your canning outfit purchase a good-sized wash- 
boiler with a copper bottom and a tightly-fitting cover. 
Have your tinsmith make a strong wire rack to fit 
the inside of the bottom. Ask him to bend down the 
heavy outside ware in four or five places, thus making 
feet to the rack. This will lift the rack an inch from 
the bottom of the boiler and remove the danger of 
breakage. Have a handle in the center sufficiently 
high to grasp easily. It must not, however, interfere 
with the lid of the boiler. This handle is of great 
importance, as it enables you to lift all the jars at 
once. Without such a contrivance you must struggle 
to get the boiling-hot jars out of the deep boiler partly 
filled with boiling water. A w^ooden rack wall an- 
swer as well as wire if it is more conveniently ob- 
tained. If it becomes necessary to lift the lids from 
the jars they must be thrown at once into boiling 
w^ater and kept there until needed. If you take a 
spoon or fork to lift them see that the bowl of the 
spoon or the tines of the fork are dipped into boiling 
water before they touch the lid. Never place a lid 
or rubber on the table and then pick it up and put it 



l64 CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 

on the jar. The table, in all probability, has a Httle 
dust on it, which carries spores of mould and yeast. 
They will fasten themselves to the edge of the lid and 
contaminate the contents of the jar. In simple lan- 
guage, have everything boiling hot, and keep it so. 
When you have thoroughly grasped what it means 
to have everything absolutely sterile you will not 
look upon the canning of vegetables as a great 
mystery. It is quite as simple an operation as boiling a 
potato. 

This sterilization is of the highest importance in 
connection with the canning of peaches and other 
fine fruits. Follow directions closely and success is 
assured. Canning methods are as simple as any of 
the work of housekeeping, but there must be absolute 
cleanliness at every turn. No class of preserving is 
successful without perfect sterilization, but in hand- 
ling both orchard and garden fruits the value of each 
commodity is doubled by carefully observing methods. 
Although all this work is easily mastered, it would 
require many pages of print to give all the details. 
Experience and study are needed before the highest 
success can be attained. There are canning experts 
in nearly every family, however, and young people 
should seek their advice. A few of the leading com- 
modities, and the methods of canning them, are pre- 
sented here for the guidance of beginners. 

SWEET CORN 

An ear of sweet corn in the average dining car and 



CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 165 

hotel, a la carte service, costs 25 cents. Considering 
this, canning corn on the cob for the market might 
prove profitable for thrifty young people. 

One advantage of sweet corn canned on the cob over 
other canned corn is that all the best food values are 
kept with the cob. In cutting corn off the cob the 
germ quality of the kernel, which keeps up its stand- 
ard, is usually lost. This germ quality is the part of 
the corn that is sought by rats and mice when they 
look for food in the corn bin and is the most vital 
part. Much of the corn is also rendered mushy when 
it is cut from the cob. 

In regard to the container for corn on the cob it 
might be mentioned that for advertising and exhibi- 
tion purposes, glass is much more satisfactory than the 
tin can, but if corn on the cob were to be put up in 
large quantities as a business venture, the glass would 
not be practical, being too expensive, but the tin cans 
would prove quite satisfactory. 

Select sweet corn ears of uniform size and proper 
ripeness. If too ripe the corn will color while proc- 
essing. Processing is the canning term for steriliza- 
tion or cooking. If not ripe enough much of the food 
value is lost in cutting the corn from the cob. Use 
either glass jars or tin cans. For market purposes and 
greater safety in transportation use tin cans. 

Remove husk, silk, shank, tips, and injured or de- 
fective places. Blanch corn in boiling water or steam 
chest for from 5 to 10 minutes. The time depends 
upon the stage of ripeness, size of ears, and degree of 



i66 CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 

freshness. Remove the ears and plunge quickly in 
cold water. 

For corn cut from the cob cut with a sharp, thin- 
bladed knife. Pack well in glass jar or tin can; add 
hot water and a level teaspoon of salt to the quart or 
No. 3 can. Place rubber and glass-jar top in place, 
not tight. If using tin, solder cap in place and fill 
vent hole, or seal completely. Process the corn for 
3 hours in the home-made or hot-water commercial 
bath outfits; for i^ hours in the water-seal outfits; 
for 60 minutes when using from 5 to 10 pounds of 
steam pressure, with the steam-pressure canning de- 
vices, and 40 minutes when using the aluminum 
steam-pressure cooker outfit. After processing re- 
move the jars, tighten covers, invert to test the joints, 
and cool. 

If using tin, inspect the soldered end caps for pin- 
hole leaks. Repair all leaks and let the product stand 
for 24 hours. If cans are bulging at ends when 
cooled, one of two things is true — the pack is too full 
or some live spores are still left in the can. If the 
latter, replace in sterilizer and process the second time 
from 30 minutes to i hour. 

For canning sweet corn on the cob, blanch in boil- 
ing water 5 to 10 minutes, according to ripeness, size 
and freshness; plunge quickly in cold water. Pack, 
alternating butts and tips ; add just a little boiling water 
and one level teaspoonful of salt to each quart. Place 
rubber and top and partially tighten. (Cap and tip 
tins.) Process, 180 to 240 minutes in hot- water bath; 



CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 167 

i^ hours water-seal outfit; 60 minutes under 5 or 
more pounds of steam; 40 minutes in aluminum pres- 
sure cooker. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert, and 
cool. Heat up for table use in steamer, not in water. 
If corn seems flat or water-logged, it has been over- 
cooked or allowed to stand in too much water. 

Use one or two quart glass jars for a part of the 
product. Quart jars will hold two ears, two-quart 
jars will hold from three to five ears, according to size 
of ear. Do not can large ears. Half-gallon or gallon 
tin cans with large openings should be used in the 
canning of ear corn when glass jars are not desirable. 
The gallon tin cans, including soldered caps cost about 
6 cents apiece, but they hold 12 ears of corn, which is 
enough for a good-sized family. If the corn is re- 
moved from the can and steamed for a few minutes, 
it cannot be distinguished from the sweet corn removed 
from the husk in mid-summer. The corn can be heated 
in the container before opening to serve. 

CORN AND TOMATO (COMBINATION) 

Blanch fresh corn on the cob 6 minutes. Cold dip. 
Cut corn from cob, cutting from tip to butt. Blanch 
tomatoes i ^ minutes and cold dip. Remove skin and 
core. Chop tomatoes into medium pieces. Mix two 
parts of tomatoes with one part of corn and mix 
thoroughly. Pack in glass jars or tin cans. Add a 
level teaspoon ful of salt per quart. Put rubber and 
cap in position, not tight. (Cap and tip if using en- 
ameled tin cans.) If using hot- water-bath outfit, 



l68 CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 

sterilize 90 minutes; if using water-seal outfit, sterilize 
75 minutes; if using a 5 -pound steam-pressure outfit, 
sterilize 60 minutes ; or if using an aluminum pressure- 
cooker outfit, sterilize 45 minutes. Remove jars. 
Tighten covers. Invert to cool and test the joint. 
Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching, and store. 

CORN, TOMATOES, AND STRING BEANS 

Use one part of corn, one part of green string beans, 
and three parts of tomatoes. Blanch fresh corn on the 
cob for 6 minutes and cold dip. Cut corn from the 
cob, cutting from tip to butt. Prepare string beans 
and cut into convenient lengths. Blanch 4 minutes 
and cold dip. Blanch tomatoes i to 3 minutes and 
cold dip. Remove skin and core. Cut into medium 
pieces. Mix thoroughly. Pack in glass jars or en- 
ameled tin cans. Put rubbers and caps in position, 
not tight. (Cap and tip if using enameled tin cans.) 
If using hot-water-bath outfit, sterilize 90 minutes; if 
using water-seal outfit, sterilize 75 minutes; if using 
a 5-pound steam-pressure outfit sterilize 60 minutes; or 
if using an aluminum pressure-cooker outfit, sterilize 
45 minutes. Remove jars. Tighten covers. Invert 
to cool and test the joint. Wrap jars with paper to 
prevent bleaching, and store. 

TOMATOES 

To cook tomatoes whole choose small, solid, round 
tomatoes. Put them into a colander or basket, plunge 



CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 169 

thcni into boiling water, lift them and remove the 
skins. Pack them in wide-mouthed glass jars or tin 
cans. Fill the jars or cans to overflowing with cold 
water. If jars adjust the rubbers, put the tops on 
loosely, stand the jars on the rack in the boiler, sur- 
round them half-way up with cold w^ater, cover the 
boiler, bring quickly to boiling point and boil for three 
minutes. Take out the jars and screw the tops down 
without lifting them. If you are using tin cans put 
on the lids, solder them, make the small hole in the 
center, put the cans into the boiler, bring them to boil- 
ing point, boil for three minutes ; lift them, put a drop 
of solder over each hole, and stand them aside to 
cool. 

For tomato conserve, get a peck of very nice smooth 
tomatoes, wash but do not peel them. Cut them into 
halves, put them into a porcelain kettle and cook 
slowly for three-quarters of an hour, being very care- 
ful not to scorch them. Press them through a sieve, 
return them to the kettle, and stew slowly until re- 
duced to a thick paste. Fill perfectly clean half-pint 
jars with this paste, adjust the rubbers, and lay on 
the tops. Stand the jars on the rack in the wash- 
boiler, pour in sufficient cold water to cover them, 
bring to the boiling point and boil for one hour. Lift 
the rack with the jars, fasten the lids, and stand them 
aside. This paste is used for spaghetti and macaroni 
i la Italienne. It is also exceedingly nice for cream 
of tomato soup and sauces. Two tablespoon fuls to a 



I/O CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 

quart of milk make a good soup, and there is not 
the slightest danger of curdling. The open jar will 
keep in a cold place for a week. 

ASPARAGUS 

Asparagus for canning must be perfectly fresh. 
Wash and trim. Cover it with boiling water, boil 
rapidly for fifteen minutes, drain and cool. Arrange 
it neatly, butts down, in wide-mouthed glass jars; fill 
the jars to overflowing with cold water, adjust the 
rubbers, lay the lids on loosely, stand the jars on the 
rack in the boiler, surround them partly with cold 
water, cover the boiler, bring to the boiling point, and 
boil for one hour. Lift the rack carefully, screw 
down each top without lifting it, put the rack with 
the jars back into the boiler, cover the boiler and boil 
for thirty minutes. Lift the jars and stand them 
aside to cool. The next morning give the tops an 
extra turn if the glass has contracted, and keep in a 
cool place. 

SPINACH 

Wash spinach carefully through several cold waters. 
Cut off the roots, and throw the leaves in a large, dry, 
granite or porcelain kettle. Sprinkle over it a table- 
spoonful of salt to each peck of spinach, cover the 
kettle, push it over a moderate heat until the spinach 
is wilted. Drain and fill the jars with it. Finish the 
same as asparagus. 



CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES i?! 

BEETS AND PEAS 

Select fresh, young beets, wash them thoroughly, 
boil them for thirty minutes, cool and strip ofif the 
stems. Trim the beets neatly and pack them in the 
jars. Fill the jars with cold water, adding a table- 
spoonful of vinegar to each jar. Adjust the rubbers, 
lay the tops on loosely and proceed as directed for 
asparagus, cooking the same length of time. 

Peas, too, should be perfectly fresh ; shell them, 
throw them into cold w^ater. When you have the 
desired quantity ready select the jars, wash them care- 
fully, and pack them full of peas. Then pour in suffi- 
cient water that has been boiled and cooled to fill the 
jars. Adjust the rubbers, lay on the lids; do not 
fasten them. Stand the jars on the rack in the boiler, 
partly surround them with cold water, bring to the 
boiling point, boil continuously for two hours. Lift 
the rack and screw down the tops, or fasten them. 
Stand the rack with the jars back in the boiler, add 
sufficient boiling water to cover the jars thoroughly, 
and boil rapidly for thirty minutes. 

MUSHROOMS 

Mushrooms are as easy to can as any other edible. 
Select clean stock and peel and stem them. Pack 
them in the jars, and after the jar is full sprinkle over 
them a teaspoon ful of salt. Shake it so that the salt 
will fall to the bottom of the jar. Adjust the rub- 
bers, lay on the tops ; stand the jars on the rack in the 



172 CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 

boiler, put in sufficient cold water to come nearly to 
the top of the jars. Be careful not to have too much, 
or in boiling the water will overflow the jars. Cover 
the boiler, bring to boiling point, boil for an hour. 
Lift the jars on the rack; take off the lids and throw 
them into a pan of boiling water. Fill two jars from 
a third. Quickly put on the lids and fasten them. 
Stand the jars on the rack and back in the boiler. 
Add sufficient boiling water to cover the tops of the 
jars thoroughly, and boil for thirty minutes. 

GRAPES 

Use fresh fruit evenly ripened. Pick from the 
stems, wash, and pack in glass jars. Cover with a 
thin syrup, boiling. Put rubbers and caps in position, 
not tight. (Cap and tip if using enameled tin cans.) 
If using hot-water bath outfit sterilize 20 minutes, if 
using water-seal outfit sterlize 15 minutes, if using 
5-pound steam-pressure outfit sterilize 15 minutes, or 
if using pressure-cooker outfit sterilize 8 minutes. Re- 
move jars. Tighten covers. Invert to cool and test 
the joint. Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching, 
and store. 

WILD GRAPES 

Use fresh fruit evenly ripened. Pick from stems 
and wash. Pack in glass jars. Cover with thick, 
boiling syrup. Put rubbers and caps in position, not 
tight. (Cap and tip if using enameled tin can.) If 
using hot-water bath outfit sterilize 20 minutes, if using 



CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 173 

water-seal outfit sterilize 15 minutes, if using 5-pound 
steam-pressure outfit sterilize 12 minutes, or if using 
pressure-cooker outfit sterilize 8 minutes. Remove 
jars. Tighten covers. Invert to cool and test joint. 
Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching, and 
store. 

WILD PLUMS AND DAMSONS 

Grade fruit for size and ripeness. Wash and pack 
in glass jars. Fill with thin or medium syrup, boiling. 
Put rubbers and caps in position, not tight. ( Cap and 
tip if using enameled tin cans). If using hot- water 
bath outfit sterilize 16 minutes, if using water-seal out- 
fit or 5-pound steam-pressure outfit sterilize 12 min- 
utes, or if using pressure-cooker outfit sterilize 8 min- 
utes. Remove jars. Tighten covers. Invert to cool 
and test joint. Wrap jars with paper to prevent 
bleaching, and store. 

HUCKLEBERRIES 

Stem and clean huckleberries. Pack in glass jars 
or enameled tin cans. Fill with thin syrup, boiling. 
Put rubber and cap in position, not tight. (Cap and 
tip if using enameled tin cans.) If using hot- water 
bath outfit, sterilize 20 minutes, if using water-seal out- 
fit, or a 5-pound steam-pressure outfit sterilize 15 min- 
utes, or if using pressure-cooker outfit sterilize 10 min- 
utes. Remove jars. Tighten covers. Invert to cool 
and test joint. Wrap jars with paper to prevent 
bleaching, and store. 



174 CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 



FIGS 

Select and grade stock. Blanch 6 minutes in boil- 
ing water and cold dip. Pack in glass jars or tin cans. 
Fill with medium syrup. Put rubber and cap in posi- 
tion, not tight. (Cap and tip if using enameled tin 
cans.) If using hot-water-bath outfit, sterilize 40 min- 
utes; if using water-seal outfit, sterilize 30 minutes; 
if using a 5-pound steam-pressure outfit, sterilize 25 
minutes; or if using a pressure-cooker outfit, sterilize 
20 minutes. Remove jars. Tighten covers. Invert 
to cool and test the joint. Wrap jars with paper to 
prevent bleaching, and store. 



CHAPTER XXII 

PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 

Unfermented grape juice is an article of commerce 
which ma}^ well be considered by young people who are 
looking for new avenues in which to make money. 
This is another line of business in which one is not 
held down very closely. It is possible to earn consid- 
erable money during the grape season without giving 
up school or other occupations, and a little effort in 
preparing the grape juice for market may add many 
dollars to the income. 

The grape contains 12 to 28 per cent, of sugar, about 
2 to 3 per cent, of nitrogenous substances, and some 
tartaric and malic acids. The skins contain tannin, 
cream of tartar, and coloring matter. The seeds con- 
tain tannin, starchy matters, and fat. The stems con- 
tain tannin, diverse acids, and mucilaginous matter. 
The value of the juice made from any grape is deter- 
mined by the relative proportion and composition of 
these various parts. 

It is well known that grapes and other fruits when 
ripe have the invisible spores of various fungi, yeasts 
(ferments), and bacteria adhering to their skins and 
stems. When dry these spores are inert, but after the 

175 



176 PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 

grapes are crushed and the spores are immersed in the 
juice they become active and begin to multiply. If 
the juice is warm, the changes take place rapidly; if, 
on the other hand, it is cool, the change is slower. But 
in either case, if left alone, the organisms increase until 
the juice ferments. The most favorable temperature 
for fermentation is between 65° F. and 88° F. Cold 
checks, but does not kill, the ferment. This fermen- 
tation, now commonly called the elliptic yeast, changes 
the sugar in the grape to alcohol and carbonic-acid gas, 
and is the leading factor in converting must into wine. 
Hence it will be readily seen that to keep grape juice 
sweet fermentation must be prevented, and to be sale- 
able the product must be clear, bright, and attractive. 
Fermentation may be prevented in either of two 
ways: 

( 1 ) By chemical methods, which consist in the addi- 
tion of germ poisons or antiseptics, which either kill 
the germs or prevent their growth. Of these the prin- 
cipal ones used are salicylic, sulphurous, boracic, and 
benzoic acids, formalin, fluorides, and saccharin. As 
these substances are generally regarded as adulterants 
and injurious, their use is not recommended. 

(2) Mechanical means are sometimes employed. 
The germs are either removed by some mechanical 
means, such as filtering or a centrifugal apparatus, or 
they are destroyed by heat, electricity, etc. Of these, 
heat has so far been found the most practical. 

When a liquid is heated to a sufficiently high tem- 
perature all organisms in it are killed. The degree of 



PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 177 

heat required, however, differs not only with the 
particular kind of organism, but also with the liquid 
in which it is held. Time is also a factor. An 
organism may not be killed if heated to a high temper- 
ature and quickly cooled. If, however, the tempera- 
ture is kept at the same high degree for some time, 
it will be killed. It must also be borne in mind that 
fungi, including yeasts, exist in the growing and the 
resting states, the latter being much more resistant 
than the former. A characteristic of the fungi and 
their spores is their great resistance to heat when dry. 
In this state they can be heated to 212° F. without 
being killed. The spores of the common mold are 
even more resistant. This should be well considered 
in sterilizing bottles and corks, which should be steamed 
to 240° F. for at least fifteen minutes. 

Practical tests so far made indicate that grape juice 
can be safely sterilized at from 165° F. to 176° F. 
At this temperature the flavor is hardly changed, 
while at a temperature much above 200° F. it is. 
This is an important point, as the flavor and quality 
of the product depend on it. 

Use only clean, sound, well-ripened but not over- 
ripe grapes. If an ordinary cider mill is at hand, it 
may be used for crushing and pressing, or the grapes 
may be crushed and pressed with the hands. If a 
light-colored juice is desired, put the crushed grapes 
in a cleanly washed cloth sack and tie up. Then either 
hang up securely and twist it or let two persons take 
hold, one on each end of the sack and twist until the 



178 PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 

greater part of the juice is expressed. Then gradually 
heat the juice in a double boiler or a large stone jar in 
a pan of hot water, so that the juice does not come 
in direct contact with the fire, at a temperature of 180° 
F. to 200° F. ; never above 200° F. 

It is best to use a thermometer, but if there be none 
at hand heat the juice until it steams, but do not allow 
it to boil. Put it in a glass or enameled vessel to settle 
for twenty-four hours; carefully drain the juice from 
the sediment, and run it through several thicknesses of 
clean flannel, or a conic filter made from woolen cloth or 
felt may be used. This filter is fixed to a hoop of iron, 
which can be suspended wherever necessary. After 
this fill into clean bottles. Do not fill entirely but leave 
room for the liquid to expand when again heated. 
Fit a thin board over the bottom of an ordinary wash 
boiler, set the filled bottles (ordinary glass fruit jars 
are just as good) in it, fill in with water around the 
bottles to within about an inch of the tops, and grad- 
ually heat until it is about to simmer. Then take the 
bottles out and cork or seal immediately. It is a good 
idea to take the further precaution of sealing the corks 
over with sealing wax or parafiin to prevent mold 
germs from entering through the corks. Should it 
be desired to make a red juice, heat the crushed grapes 
to not above 200 degrees F., strain through a clean 
cloth or drip bag, no pressure should be used, set away 
to cool and settle, and proceed the same as with light- 
colored juice. Many people do not even go to the 
trouble of letting the juice settle after straining it, 



PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 179 

but reheat and seal it up immediately, simply setting 
the vessels away in a cool place in an upright position 
where they will be undisturbed. The juice is thus al- 
lowed to settle, and when wanted for use the clear 
juice is simply taken off the sediment. Any person 
familiar with the process of canning fruit can also pre- 
serve grape juice, for the principles involved are 
identical. 

One of the leading defects so far found in unfer- 
mented juice is that much of it is not clear, a condition 
which very much detracts from its otherwise attractive 
appearance and due to two causes already alluded to. 
Either the final sterilization in bottles has been at a 
higher temperature than the preceding one, or the juice 
has not been properly filtered or has not been filtered 
at all. In other cases the juice has been sterilized at 
such a high temperature that it has a disagreeable 
scorched taste. It should be remembered that attempts 
to sterilize at a temperature above 195° F. are danger- 
ous, so far as the flavor of the finished product is 
concerned. 

Another serious mistake is sometimes made by put- 
ing the juice into bottles so large that much of it be- 
comes spoiled before it is used after the bottles are 
opened. Un fermented grape juice properly made and 
bottled will keep indefinitely, if it is not exposed to the 
atmosphere or mold germs; but when a bottle is once 
opened it should, like canned goods, be used as soon 
as possible, to keep it from spoiling. 

Another method of making un fermented grape juice 



l8o PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 

which is often resorted to where a sufficiently largt 
quantity is made at one time, consists in this : 

Take a clean keg or barrel (one that has previously 
been made sweet). Lay this upon a skid consisting 
of two scantlings or pieces of timber about 20 
feet long, in such a manner as to make a runway. 
Then take a sulphur match, made by dipping strips of 
clean muslin about i inch wide and 10 inches long into 
melted brimstone, cool it and attach it to a piece of 
wire fastened in the lower end of a bung and bent over 
at the end, so as to form a hook. Light the match and 
by means of the wire suspend it in the barrel, bung the 
barrel up tight, and allow it to burn as long as it will. 
Repeat this until fresh sulphur matches will no longer 
burn in the barrel. 

Then take enough grape juice to fill the barrel one- 
third full, bung up tight, and roll and agitate violently 
on the skid for a few minutes. Then burn more sul- 
phur matches in it until no more will burn, fill in more 
juice until the barrel is about two-thirds full; agitate 
and roll again. Repeat the burning process as before, 
after which fill the barrel immediately with grape juice 
and roll. The barrel should then be bunged tightly 
and stored in a cool place with the bung up, and so 
secured that the package can not be shaken. In the 
course of a few weeks the juice will have become 
clear and can then be racked off and filled into bottles 
or jars direct, sterilized and corked or sealed up ready 
for use. By this method, however, unless skilfully 



PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE iSl 

handled, the juice might have a sHght sulphur taste. 

An ordinary cider press can be used in making 
grape juice. It is not expensive; nevertheless the 
majority of farms do not have one, and it fre- 
quently occurs that a farm is located so far away 
from any establishment dealing in such implements 
that the fruit might spoil or not be sufficiently valuable 
to justify the purchase price and time lost and expense 
incurred in getting it. The following is a description 
of a lever press, very efficient for this and similar uses, 
which any farmer handy with tools can make, the ma- 
terial for which can be found on almost any farm at 
any time. The press consists of the following parts: 

Two upright posts set deep and firmly in the ground 
side by side and about 12 inches apart. (It is a good 
idea to attach some deadmen to them in the ground 
to prevent them pulling out too easily). Between 
these posts the lever is hung by means of a bolt, or the 
lever may be hung to the side of a building, or a hole 
notched into a tree large enough to admit the end of 
the lever and a bolt run through that. At the other 
end of the lever are two posts, so set that the lever can 
be raised up between them by means of block and 
tackle. The press itself consists of two timbers, on 
which the press bottom rests, and on this bottom is 
the press basket, consisting of the two sides and two 
ends, and so constructed that it can be easily taken 
apart and set up again, being held together at the ends 
by means of rods. The sides and ends should be bored 



l82 PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 

full of small holes from three-eighths to one-half inch 
in diameter to allow exit for the juice. 

After the press is filled, the top (which is made to 
fit in the inside of the basket) and cross blocks are put 
on and the lever is then allowed to press down on it. 
A press like this has the advantage that it can be filled 
in the evening and left to press until morning. The 
precaution, of course, must be taken to set a tub large 
enough to hold the juice under the press. 

It is perhaps well to state that the longer and 
heavier the lever, the greater the pressure it exerts. 
Where it is not convenient to make the lever very 
long, weights are placed or hung on the outer extrem- 
ity of the lever to increase the pressure. It will thus 
be seen that with a little ingenuity a person can adapt 
the press to suit his individual requirements. For 
ordinary purposes a press basket 3 feet square and 2 
feet high will be found a very convenient size. This 
will accommodate a ton of crushed grapes. 

In the making of un fermented grape juice a great 
deal of judgment can be displayed and many variations 
produced so as to suit almost any taste by the careful 
selection of the varieties of grapes from which it is 
made. From the Mission grape, for instance, when 
fully ripe, a juice would be obtained that would be 
delicate and simply sweet, without any other taste; 
from the Muscat we would get that rich musky flavor 
found in our leading raisins; in the Concord that 
sprightly foxy taste so well known ; in the Catawba or 
Isabella that fragrance so peculiarly their own, and in 



PREPARING UNFERMENTED GRAPE JUICE 183 

the lona a pleasing, mild, yet strong enough aroma 
and taste to strike the right spot. Thus we might con- 
tinue along the list. 

The uses of unfermented grape juice are indeed 
many. It is used in sickness, convalescence and good 
health; as a preventive, restorative and cure; by the 
young, by persons in prime of life, and those in old 
age. It is used in churches for sacramental purposes ; 
at soda fountains as a cool and refreshing drink; in 
homes, at hotels, and at restaurants as a food, as a 
beverage, as a dessert and in many other ways. When 
people become accustomed to it they rarely give it up. 
When properly prepared, unfermented grape juice can 
be made to please the eye by its color and attractive 
appearance, the sense of smell by its aroma or fra- 
grance and the palate by its pleasant flavor. It is food 
and drink, refreshment and nourishment all in one. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

CARING FOR HEDGES 

Both boys and girls should understand the care of 
hedges and ornamental trees. This work has such a 
bearing on the appearance of a home that it should be 
made a subject of careful study, and young people 
who need to earn money may well receive a little 
training in anticipation of making their services valu- 
able. Such work can be done by the hour or day, 
and as owners of lawns usually take some pride in 
their places they are willing to pay what is right for 
a little skilled service now and then. Such a line of 
activity can be carried on without interfering with 
school studies. It is even possible to earn a good many 
odd dollars in this way while holding some regular 
position. 

One of the best forms for a hedge which is to serve 
either as a fence, windbreak, or as an ornament is 
the pyramid. When the plants are first set out in line 
they should be pruned or shortened to within 2 or 3 
inches of the ground and allowed to grow undisturbed 
during the first season. At the end of the yearly 
growth the plants should again be pruned down to 
within 6 or 8 inches of the first pruning, any side or 

1S4 



CARING FOR HEDGES 185 

hcHizontal growths being pruned within an inch of 
the main stem. During the growth of the second sea- 
son the hedge may be partially shaped by an occasional 
pinching out of the points of stronger upright shoots, 
but preserving every shoot and leaf on the weaker 
side growths. In thus repressing the upright shoots 
and encouraging side growths a breadth of base will 
be secured which at this stage is most important. 
During the following winter the hedge, if it has pro- 
gressed favorably, may be pruned into shape — that 
is, formed into a pointed pyramid, the sides being 
from 8 to 10 inches from the center. 

These operations are in accordance with the prin- 
ciples that summer pruning will arrest growth to some 
extent, and that winter pruning will encourage the 
production of strong growths. By keeping these fac- 
tors in view a hedge can readily be shaped without 
much destruction of growths and as readily maintained 
in a pyramidal form; but if the more upright or top 
shoots are allowed to predominate the lower side 
shoots will soon lose vigor, and thus the hedge will 
lose its efficiency as a barrier and its beauty as an object 
of ornamental utility. These details apply to decidu- 
ous plants, of which the Osage orange is an example. 
Evergreens, such as the arbor vitse, require less labor 
in preparation or training and maintenance than de- 
ciduous plants, as most of them naturally assume a 
pyramidal form, and by a practice based upon the prin- 
ciples already noted good hedges can easily be pro- 
duced. The main points are to keep the top of the 



l86 CARING FOR HEDGES 

hedge shaped to a point and allow the sides to expand 
sufficiently, so that all parts of the hedge surface may 
be exposed to light. Once a year is ordinarily often 
enough to trim and the best time for this is just before 
the commencement of spring growth. When 5 feet 
high, the hedge should be about 3 feet wide at its base, 
or at the surface of the ground and all pruning should 
be directed with this in view. 

The ideal street tree has a straight, well-defined 
central stem throughout its entire length, its side 
branches regularly distributed around. Trees of this 
form will withstand fierce storms and sudden bursts of 
wind without injury. Few deciduous trees assume 
this form naturally but by timely pruning when young 
can be greatly helped to approach it. 

The growth is easily controlled if the training proc- 
ess is commenced while the tree is young. Not later 
than the second year after planting a careful inspection 
should be made after the leaves fall. From the shoots 
developing to leaders, select the fittest and remove 
the tops from the rest ; also cut the points of any side 
branches that appear to require checking, in this way 
maintaining the symmetry of the tree. 

The training process should really begin in the 
nursery where the growth of a leading shoot should 
be maintained and all side branches kept back by pinch- 
ing their points. They should not be entirely removed 
as they serve to strengthen the stem for the time being 
— later they may be removed. Transplanting should 
not be done until the tree has attained a height of frpm 



CARING FOR HEDGES 187 

8 to 10 feet when all shoots should be removed by- 
cutting them close to the main stem to a height of at 
least 6 feet. No further pruning will be necessary at 
this time. 

The removal of all lower branches is required so 
that they may not interfere with the proper use of the 
sidewalks and streets, but this has a tendency to di- 
minish the power of resistance of the tree against the 
sweeping blasts to which open streets are often sub- 
jected. As the lower branches extend they will droop 
at the end and become an interference, therefore, the 
trimming up from below will require attention for a 
number of years. However, cutting the branch from 
the main stem should be delayed till absolutely 
necessary. 



CHAPTER XXIV 

POULTRY IS PROFITABLE 

Is there a fortune in poultry? In other words, can a 
boy or girl of ordinary intelligence and with a small 
amount to invest make poultry raising a profitable 
business ? 

Judging from the general development of the poul- 
try business and observing the methods which have 
brought success, I am free to say that the industry is 
just coming to be properly appreciated. The work 
of successful poultry raising includes the following 
ideas : 

House the fowls in clean, roomy and comfortable 
buildings. 

Sell eggs mainly at fall and winter prices, and when 
the product is cheap use incubators and hatch chickens. 

Build up a trade for broilers at two months and 
matured fowls at from one year to thirty months, as 
well as for guaranteed eggs delivered to customers 
once a week or at least once a fortnight. 

Study feeding methods in order that poultry may be 
kept healthy and laying birds supplied with the proper 
materials for both nourishment and egg production. 
Keep in mind the economy of food as well as its nutri- 
tious qualities. 

i88 



POULTRY IS PROFITABLE 189 

Select pullets from the best egg-producing strain 
of hens. Use no fowls for breeding unless they be- 
long to families of chickens that are noted for health- 
fulness and tgg production. Cull the flock regularly 
with this in mind. Use pure-bred males and change 
every year. 

Do not allow vermin of any kind to obtain a start 
in the flock. If lice or mites are found on the chick- 
ens, do not waste an hour until the work of extermina- 
tion is started. Clean up the flock and the premises 
absolutely. Keep all chickens, young and old, off wet 
ground in spring and fall. Give them plenty of range 
in summer and a reasonable amount of green food 
in winter. 

A girl who lived out at the edge of a town had a 
number of hens all her own. The eggs were hers to 
do with as she pleased, provided she took care of the 
chickens without expense to her family. For some 
months she sold eggs at the stores, where she received 
from 15 to 25 cents a dozen. Then she began to 
figure, and decided that she might as well make a little 
extra money by selling to private customers direct. So 
she got some containers, or egg-packing boxes. In 
these she carefully packed some clean white eggs, well 
matched as to size, tying the boxes neatly and securely. 
Then calls were made on a number of housekeepers. 

The first lady said: " Fm paying 35 cents a dozen 
at the grocer's, and I'll gladly pay 5 cents extra for 
eggs that I know to be fresh from the nest." She 
promptly put in an order for two dozen a week. She 



igo POULTRY IS PROFITABLE 

called up a friend by telephone and asked if she would 
like to make a similar arrangement. In this way an- 
other good customer was secured. So the young 
merchant girl went her way with a light heart and 
easily found all the buyers she could supply with fresh 
eggs. 

As she was careful to keep her hens warm and 
clean they responded with liberal supplies of the nicest 
eggs. In a short time the young lady realized that she 
was actually making money fast. She raised some 
more hens and steadily enlarged her business. 

As soon as you have tested the demand for poultry 
that is handled in a careful and skillful way, and when 
you know of hotels, clubs, restaurants or private fam- 
ilies that are willing and able to pay good prices for 
choice products, add duck raising to the enterprise. 
Make it a point to supply broilers at two months, in a 
good state of flesh, and then be prepared to supply the 
more matured birds as customers require. Do not be 
afraid to ask fair prices. Make it a point to have the 
business profitable. 

Growing chickens do not lay until their bodies are 
fully covered with feathers. Nor do hens lay during 
the moulting period, for then the food is needed to 
build up their own vitality. Hens do not lay readily 
in cold weather. Winter must be turned into summer, 
as it were, and the natural foods of the summer season 
furnished them. Grain should be worked into straw 
litter, so as to keep the flock active. 

Corn, wheat, barley, clipped oats, a warm mash of 



POULTRY IS PROFITABLE 191 

ground feed and table scraps constitute a successful 
" menu" for laying hens. Skimmed milk and a little 
meat aid in tgg production and in fattening the fowls. 
Clean water is always important. Feed for young 
chickens should be easily digested. Soft foods, such 
as rolled oats, cracked wheat and corn, hard-boiled 
eggs, corn meal, etc., are the best foods. No feeding 
is done until the chicks are thirty-six hours old. Then 
feed a soft mash, working up to the above mentioned 
foods gradually. 

Chief of all is the feeding of the laying hen. There 
is a close relationship between the food eaten by the 
hen and the eggs laid. The various grains contain five 
elements — water, ash, protein, carbohydrates, and fat, 
varying in quantity. The body of the fowl and the 
tgg contain these same elements in different form ; 
i. e., the ash (mineral matter) of feeds is changed to 
bone and ^gg shell in the body of the fowl ; the protein 
is changed from gluten into lean meat, or tgg albumen, 
and the carbohydrates and the fat are converted from 
starch, sugar and oil into the fat of the body or the 
yolk of the tgg. 

It is impossible for a hen to do her best in laying 
eggs if she is fed a ration rich in carbohydrates and fat 
but containing little protein ; she has little material for 
albumen on such ration, but plenty for the yolk of the 
tgg. Carbohydrates cannot be changed into protein, 
although protein can be changed into fat, but as pro- 
tein is a very small part of the grain, it is economy to 
supply a food that carries a large percentage of protein. 



192 POULTRY IS PROFITABLE 

Practically all grains contain far more carbo- 
hydrates than any other element, and while nearly any 
grain can be utilized as feed, corn, wheat, oats, buck- 
wheat, and sunflower seed will be found the most 
economical. Sunflower seed contains a larger per- 
centage of protein than any of the grains and for this 
reason is a very good and economical food. Of ground 
feeds and by-products, linseed oil meal, gluten meal 
and meat scraps will be found to contain a large percent- 
age of protein and fat. Other desirable ground feeds 
and by-products are wheat bran, wheat middlings, corn 
meal, alfalfa meal, and skim milk. Green alfalfa, green 
red clover, mangels (or beets), rye forage, cabbage 
and rape are among the most desirable vegetable foods. 

The great egg yield obtained by C. H. WykoflF, a 
New York state breeder of White Leghorns, has pro- 
voked extended comment. Following is a summary 
of his feeding methods : All the fowls are fed three 
times daily. In the morning they are given a ration 
composed half and half, by weight, of wheat bran and 
a mixture made of equal quantities, by measure, of oat 
and corn meal. This is scalded. At noon a little 
grain, a mixture of oats, buckwheat, and wheat in 
equal parts, is scattered on the floors lightly to induce 
the fowls to scratch for exercise. At night they are 
given all they will eat of the grain ration. Sour 
skimmed milk forms a daily diet and would easily take 
the place of meat if it could be obtained in sufficient 
quantities. As it is every other day each group of 
sixty fowls receives about one and one-half pounds of 



POULTRY IS PROFITABLE 193 

pressed meat. Ground oyster shells are continually ac- 
cessible. About four and one-half quarts of green 
food is given daily to each lot, consisting of cabbage, 
turnips, and beets in winter, grass in spring, and sea 
kale in summer. Salt is the only condiment fed, 
stimulating commercial feeds having long ago been 
abandoned as dangerous. Clean clover hay, chopped 
fine and mixed with corn meal and steamed, is fre- 
quently fed, but only in small quantities, as it is found 
to be too bulky for the crop. 



CHAPTER XXV 

START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 

In taking up the poultry business boys and girls should 
remember that there is more actual profit in a small 
flock well cared for than in a large flock neglected. 
The idea that seems to be prevalent that a flock of 
fowls will " shift for themselves *' the greater part 
of the year and return a profit to the owner is a mis- 
taken one. They must be properly cared for every 
day in the year if they are to be profitable. True, they 
will pick up the greater part of their living on the range 
in the summer, but at the same time they must be sup- 
plied with the necessities the range does not afford. 
It must be remembered that the hen in her native state 
laid but a couple of dozen eggs a year, not enough to 
pay for her keeping under present conditions. That 
was when she was '' shifting for herself." Under or- 
dinary conditions as we find them today, the hen must 
lay from three to five dozen eggs to counterbalance the 
cost of her keeping for one year. All that she lays 
above that number can be counted as profit. 

The beginner in poultry raising should bear in mind 
that the success of the venture depends to a great de- 
gree upon his own ability and efforts. He would not 

194 



START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 195 

expect to make a success of any other business with- 
out first fitting himself for the task and then putting 
his best efforts into it, and he should not expect to do so 
with poultry raising. There are a lot of things for 
him to learn, though he may not realize it, and no one 
can tell him all he ought to know. He must to a 
certain extent " work out his own salvation." If he 
is energetic, studious and observing, he w'ill soon find 
himself in a position to keep poultry at a good profit, 
and in the course of time, he will have no trouble in 
making a " comfortable living " from his hens. 

Having made a success of keeping a small flock, a 
person can safely increase it to four or five times the 
number, providing he has the time and inclination 
to care for a larger flock. But even now he should pro- 
ceed cautiously for it does not necessarily follow that 
because a man can make a nice profit from sixty or 
seventy hens, he can make a proportionately greater 
profit from a thousand hens. In fact, he may fail 
entirely and keep the larger flock at a positive loss. It 
is the same in all commercial pursuits. Because a 
merchant makes a success of a little corner dry goods 
store is no proof that he is fitted to take charge of a 
large department store and make a success of the busi- 
ness. Caution is to be advised all along the line. 

As to the amount of capital required, this, of course, 
depends upon the kind and size of the buildings that 
are to be erected, the kind of equipment that is to be 
installed and the kind of stock purchased. It is not 
necessary that the buildings be elaborate, but so con- 



196 START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 

structed as to house the fowls comfortably and pro- 
tect them from the cold and wet. 

My advice to the beginner is to get good, pure-bred 
stock for a foundation, whether he is going to breed 
for " fancy " points or principally for the market. 
It has been proven time and again that pure-bred stock 
is the most profitable from a commercial point of view, 
and the largest and most successful commercial poultry 
plants in this country are today stocked with poultry 
of some standard variety. It costs a little more to 
start with pure-breds, but it is a profitable investment 
in the end. The birds that are to be marketed mature 
more uniformly and make a nice appearance when 
dressed and placed on sale. Consequently the pro- 
ducer can command a little premium over current mar- 
ket prices for them. More eggs will be secured from 
a flock of this kind than from a promiscuous flock of 
mongrels, and the eggs will be uniform in color and 
size, they, too, making a nice appearance and com- 
manding a little more than a mixed lot. While it costs 
a little more to start with pure-bred stock, the extra 
expense stops right there, for it costs no more to raise 
pure-bred than mongrel chicks. 

If a boy has but limited capital, I would advise him 
to build a small poultry house and get a small flock of 
fowls as a starter. He can build a house, say 12 x 12 
feet for $40, and this house will accommodate from 
sixty to seventy hens nicely, divided into two or three 
flocks. By the end of the first year he will have ac- 
quired a fund of experience and knowledge that will 



START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 197 

fit him for bigger things if he wants to increase the 
capacity of his plant, and he will be in shape to work 
intelligently. 

Size and good breeding in the males tell favorably 
in building up a flock. By persisting in the work of 
selecting vigorous and uniform pullets, and breeding 
for definite results, poultry owners will soon notice 
an improvement in the number of eggs as well as in 
the output of meat. To add a pound to the weight 
of each chicken and increase the average of egg pro- 
duction two or three dozen means doubling the profits. 

One of the considerations in managing chickens is 
that males should not be allowed to run with hens 
which are producing eggs for market. Infertile eggs 
keep best and are desired by all critical buyers. Then 
as the males are to be used only on the finest breeding 
pullets, it stands to reason that a flock will improve. 
Inferior hens are cut out from the breeding pens al- 
together, and in a short time the whole flock will show 
the good effects of careful selection. 

Spring, the natural breeding season, is the best time 
to hatch strong, hardy chicks. The hens, at this sea- 
son, are in prime condition and produce a greater per 
cent of vigorous chicks than at any other period of the 
year. It being the natural mating season, all the 
energies of the fowls are bent toward the production 
of young. Therefore, the breeders should be so han- 
dled as to retard laying until spring. 

The fowl that lays all winter has too great a drain 
on her productive organs to be in condition to lay 



198 START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 

Strongly fertile eggs for hatching when spring comes. 
Those of her eggs which prove fertile may possess 
weak germs. 

Eggs for hatching should never be saved from a hen 
that is sluggish and hangs around the roost in a sleepy 
and inactive fashion. The hardy types which lay best 
are preferable for breeding purposes. These are the 
ones with full crops, red combs and bright eyes and the 
first to leave the roost in the morning. They roam 
long distances in search of food, and are among the 
last to go to roost at night. 

While with Leghorns and other small breeds twenty 
females can safely be mated with one male bird, in 
managing the heavier breeds fifteen hens or less should 
be used in order to insure fertile eggs and special vigor. 
It is best to limit still more the number of females to 
be bred to old male birds. 

Grocers and commission merchants say that one of 
their principal difficulties in handling country produce 
is the unsatisfactory condition of vast quantities of 
eggs which they receive. It is not merely this lack of 
uniformity that is complained of but that many farmers 
are careless in regard to the prompt collection or ship- 
ment of eggs. 

It has been pointed out by dealers and by officials 
of the agricultural department at Washington that this 
carelessness on the part of persons shipping eggs to 
the large markets causes a loss of many millions of 
dollars annually. For one thing, farmers get less for 
their eggs than they would if the product was guaran- 



START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 199 

teed as to freshness and had an appearance of uni- 
formity. In the next place, dealers and consumers 
would be saved a great deal of vexatious loss if they 
could depend on the quality of the eggs which they 
bought. 

As a majority of poultry owners desire first of all 
to make money I would urge young people who are 
engaging in the business to give a little attention to 
this matter of supplying produce in a reliable and sat- 
isfactory way. Tasty packages of any kind of farm 
commodities will sell at a premium over ordinary stuff. 
To place the poultry business on a paying basis is not 
beyond the capacity of any intelligent boy or girl, 
either in the suburbs or on a farm. A reputation for 
supplying strictly fresh eggs can soon be established 
if one is determined to gain this distinction, and it 
does not require more than one season's effort to get 
the much-desired uniformity. 

Having secured a flock of healthy, contented chick- 
ens, of some good strain in a recognized breed, there 
will be little trouble about lack of uniformity in eggs. 
The product will gradually become uniform in size and 
color by following this course of management. The 
selection of the best pullets from year to year is just 
about as important as the breeding to one particular 
strain. 

It does not matter at all whether the eggs are white 
or brown. There is a ready sale for both kinds, but 
they must not be mixed. It has come about that drug 
stores use enormous quantities of eggs at their soda 



200 START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 

fountains, and these buyers, like all others, dislike very 
much to have them in different sizes and colors dis- 
played before their customers. Clubs and hotels are 
equally particular, because this lack of uniformity 
shows a carelessness or indifference on the part of 
poultry owners. 

A lot of uniform eggs bearing that exquisite bloom 
that goes with them when they are fresh will go far 
toward making a reputation for the producer. If one 
lot follows another without great variation, the poul- 
try owner is in a position before long to charge spe- 
cial rates for his goods. Therefore the gain to the 
farmer or poultryman is immediate, and if all owners 
would give strict attention to this question they would 
be putting money in their pockets by so doing. 

Not only do poultry owners make money from this 
striving for uniformity in eggs, but they are steadily 
building up flocks of chickens that will pay in another 
way. When an owner begins to clear profits liberally 
because his eggs and poultry meat are extra nice he 
finds a demand for all the pullets and cockerels that he 
can spare. Other people wish them for breeding pur- 
poses, as they also are aiming for the best results. 

When poultrymen have followed this plan for one 
or two seasons they can fix a regular price for every- 
thing they have to sell at a rate much above that ob- 
tained by those who pursue slipshod methods. Thus 
there is a strong inducement at every turn to handle 
poultry intelligently, and according to business prin- 



START WITH A SMALL FLOCK 201 

ciples. Uniformity in the flock gives uniformity in 
the eggs and creates a demand for breeding fowls. 

Egg production is not always the most profitable 
part of the poultry industry. There are various 
sources of profit. The first is to supply nice, large, 
juicy broilers which will weigh a pound and a half to 
two pounds at the age of two months. These sell for 
almost unbelievably high prices, where one has the 
reputation for good goods. 

The next point is the sale of good breeding fowls, 
both males and females. An owner who has earned a 
reputation for having a money-making flock can fre- 
quently sell individual birds for from $io to $50 — 
sometimes as high as $100 or even $200. 

If the business is worth engaging in at all, it is 
worth handling right. 



CHAPTER XXVI 

SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 

A GOOD income may be secured by raising squabs. 
The best variety of pigeons for squab raising is the 
" straight " Homer. These birds are large, active and 
healthy. Their eggs are seldom infertile and they are 
of a quiet disposition when properly mated. 

A very important detail in squab raising is the proper 
mating of the flock. A mating house fitted with nest 
boxes is necessary whether there are many or only a 
few birds. They should be kept here until they begin 
to carry material to build nests, when they may be 
placed in the permanent breeding house. 

It is advisable to keep a record of each bird, sex, 
color and other distinguishing marks. A breeding bird 
should be banded with a number ; thus the record will 
show its sex and it can be again mated if anything 
happens to its former partner. 

The six principal feeds are" sifted cracked corn, 
Canada peas, wheat, German millet, Kafir corn and 
hemp. About a peck of clean sand should be spread 
evenly on the floor of each pen. A small box one- 
third full of table salt, a second with cracked oyster 
shells, pigeon size, and a third with ground charcoal 

202 



SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 203 

about as fine as ground coffee, should be placed within 
reach of the birds and replenished weekly, cleaning out 
the boxes each time. The salt is absolutely essential 
for the health of the pigeons. 

Regularity as to feeding time should be strictly ob- 
served. In summer the morning feed should be given 
at 6.30 and in winter at 7.30. In the afternoon feed 
the birds at 4 o'clock in summer and 3 in winter. The 
birds and their young should have ample time to feed 
before nightfall. Never feed out of doors at any 
season. Some of the feeds mentioned are quite cheap, 
but just because of this do not give larger rations of 
that particular sort in order to save by it. Too much 
wheat will tend to make the squabs skinny and dark. 
The pigeons need a variety of feed. If the parent bird 
is improperly fed the squabs are likely to die in the 
nest. Unlike a tiny chick, the squab cannot run about 
and help itself and, therefore, it depends entirely on 
what the mother bird brings it. After the first five 
days it feeds on grain picked up by the parent. 

A generous supply of fresh water for drinking pur- 
poses should be supplied. The flock should be watered 
before the morning supply of feed is given. One 
fountain on the floor of each pen is sufficient and should 
be thoroughly cleaned out each morning. They should 
then be filled with fresh water which will last all day. 
However, during the heated spell a fresh supply of 
water in the afternoon would be welcomed by the 
birds. 

Other and shallower tubs should be provided for 



204 SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 

bathing purposes as the birds frequently use these and 
enjoy them. These tubs should be of galvanized iron 
or zinc, 3 inches deep and 30 inches square. After 
the birds have bathed the tubs should be emptied and 
turned upside down. If available, a trough with run- 
ning water is best if raising pigeons on a large scale. 

It is very essential that the nest boxes and pens be 
cleaned often and regularly except in the case of a 
freshly made nest containing eggs or young squabs. 
This can be left until the next cleaning day. Pigeon 
houses should be lime- washed before occupancy. 
Crude, dark carbolic acid, a teaspoon ful to two gal- 
lons of wash, will serve to repel lice. Whitewashing 
must be repeated once a year. 

Squabs should be killed before they get so large that 
they leave the nest. Eight pounds to the dozen is con- 
sidered standard size. This weight is usually attained 
in four weeks. A regular shipping day must be set 
aside. To insure empty crops the squabs ought to be 
caught before the morning feed is distributed. 

A disease frequently encountered is known as " go- 
ing light," and is characterized by moping and droop- 
ing of the bird. Diarrhea is often the first symptom 
and this may be checked by a dose of sweet-fern tea. 
If the discharge is slimy a dropperful of cod liver oil 
and creosote night and morning will bring about im- 
provement. One dram of creosote to 2 ounces of the 
oil is the proper proportion. If the disease has 
reached the stage where the bird is gasping, it is bet- 
ter to kill it off as the case is then hopeless. It is gen- 



SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 205 

erally in moulting season that this disease manifests 
itself. It is caused from allowing feed to lie on the 
ground until sour or because the grain is unsound to 
begin with. 

Roup is contagious and requires careful treatment. 
It is evidenced by a discharge from the nostrils of the 
bird. The nostrils should be carefully washed and a 
few drops of camphorated oil put in each of them. 
This can be done with a small oil can. Another 
remedy is two drops of kerosene oil in the nostrils 
and one or two in the mouth. The birds should be 
carefully watched until cured. In any case whether 
contagious or not, it is safer to separate the ailing 
birds from the healthy flock until they are entirely 
well. 

Vertigo is incurable. A bird may be inflicted with 
this disease and yet live a couple of years. It will 
turn its head over its shoulder, seem dizzy and fre- 
quently fall down. It is better for the flock if one of 
this sort is immediately eliminated. 

Canker is indicated by a discharge of cheesy matter 
from the mouth of the bird. Swab the parts affected 
with a solution of bluestone applied with a small 
camel's hair brush. This should be done for two days 
and then the canker removed with the aid of a match 
stem. Care should be taken not to draw blood. 
When the disease has been unnoticed until too far gone, 
unless the bird is quite valuable it is better to kill it. 

During the very long and severe winter of 1903-04 
many squab breeders met with heavy losses by eggs 



206 SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 

becoming chilled in nests and squabs dying shortly 
after being hatched. 

To show the extent of these losses, the writer will 
cite a few instances which came under his immediate 
notice: One breeder with 500 pairs in the month of 
January, 1904, lost 148 eggs and 64 squabs, market- 
ing only 166 squabs. A second flock of the same size 
suffered a loss of 106 eggs and squabs during a single 
week in February, with very heavy losses for several 
previous weeks. In a third flock of the same number 
of birds, the owner marketed as few as 24 squabs in a 
week and seldom had more than 40. Yet from a 
fourth flock of the same size there were sent to market 
in January, 1904, 303 squabs, and the losses from 
chilled eggs and dead squabs amounted to only 16. 
The net returns for the squabs sold were 90 cents a 
pair. Now, comparing this result with that in the 
first case above mentioned, which showed the best re- 
sults of the three, we have the following: 

Fourth flock, 303 squabs, at 90 cents a pair, netted $136.35 
First flock, 166 squabs, at 90 cents a pair, netted. . 74.70 



Loss sustained $ 61.65 

With feed bills for each of these flocks approximat- 
ing $18 per week, it can be seen that 20 pairs of squabs 
at 90 cents a pair were necessary to meet that item of 
expense. The first breeder mentioned barely reached 
that number, and the second and third fell short. 

Good management requires that the cause of such 



SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 207 

losses be most diligently sought. Luck has nothing to 
do with the question. The breeder must closely ex- 
amine his coops, for the cause exists there. Without 
the inspection of any given coop thus afflicted it is not 
possible to point out the exact cause of the trouble, 
but the writer confidently believes that in nine out of 
every ten cases the losses can be traced to one of the 
following causes, or a combination of them: (i) A 
fighting cock bird; (2) birds not mated; (3) lack of 
vitality in the breeding stock; (4) the presence of 
mice in the breeding quarters. 

In spite of all of these possible losses, with the right 
kind of stock, careful attention and proper manage- 
ment the pigeon business can be made to pay. One 
large pigeon house is better than several small ones, 
but 250 pairs in one house should be the limit. A 
room 10x20 feet will accommodate 50 pairs comfort- 
ably. For a beginner who desires to start with 25 
pairs or less, temporary structures or buildings which 
are already erected, will do until experience regarding 
the peculiarities of the birds and a practical knowledge 
of how to manage them have been gained. Then it 
is safe to branch out in the business. 

Pigeons live in pairs, and a w'ell-selected breeding 
pair will produce a dozen squabs or more every year. 
The squab is a young pigeon not ready to leave the 
nest. It is considered a delicacy and sells at the rate 
of $3 to $5 a dozen. There is a constant demand and 
the prices allow for a large profit. It costs on an av- 
erage about 60 cents a year to feed a working pair of 



208 SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 

pigeons. One conservative and reliable breeder gives 
this ratio of estimates : It v^ill cost $io a v^eek to feed 
1,000 pairs of pigeons, and they ought to produce ten 
dozen squabs a week, which would average $4 a dozen, 
sold in market, making $40 per week. Deducting the 
$10 expense leaves a weekly income of $30, or $1,560 
a year, which would be double that amount if you had 
a select family trade and got the benefit of the prices 
they pay. 

Present city quotations run as follows: Prime 
white squabs, ten pounds to the dozen, $4.75; nine 
pounds, $4,25 ; eight pounds, $4 ; seven pounds, 
$3-75 J six pounds, $3.50. This is what the commis- 
sion men pay, but you inquire at first-class hotels, 
clubs and homes of the rich and you will find that these 
middlemen sell at a profit of 100 per cent. The con- 
clusion is that you should sell direct to the consumer. 

Proper selection in mating and a wise choice of birds 
for your breeding loft mean everything. By selecting 
those birds that are the most prolific breeders you can 
increase your squab product fully one-fourth. Don't 
fancy there will be nothing to do; there will be just 
so much work to be performed each morning. For a 
small flock, fifteen minutes each day will sufiice, but 
on "cleaning-up" days a loft of a few hundred birds 
will take all day to put things in proper order. Beside 
the work there will be about so much time to be spent 
each day in watching the birds to see which are com- 
ing up to the standard and which are drones. 

There must be two nests for every working pair of 



SQUAB RAISING AS A BUSINESS 2C9 

pigeons, as the mother bird often begins laying again 
before the last pair of squabs is out of the nest. In 
this case she turns the squabs over to the father bird, 
who furnishes them with food. In the meantime the 
mother bird is occupying the other nest, and probably 
has hatched another pair of squabs before the first 
ones are fully fledged. The nests are made by putting 
tiers of shelves across the sides of the loft, or squab 
house, and dividing these shelves into one-foot spaces. 



CHAPTER XXVII 

PROFIT IN TRAPPING 

There is an unlimited amount of healthful sport and 
considerable profit in trapping fur-bearing animals. 
The business is never overdone and prices have been 
steadily rising for years. 

Boys who live in the country have the advantage in 
this line of activity, but the sport may be enjoyed by 
town youths also in a limited way. Village boys often 
find it possible to carry on a trapping business in for- 
ests and along creeks not far from home. 

Don't make the mistake of thinking that the wild 
animals in the old settled states are of inferior value. 
A prominent wholesale fur dealer recently said that the 
best and most generally satisfactory furs he purchases 
come from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michi- 
gan and other old settled middle states. 

For twenty years nearly all fur bearing animals, 
with the possible exception of skunks, have declined 
in numbers. With this has come a corresponding in- 
crease in values. Raw mink skins were quoted at 50 
to 90 cents each no longer than ten years ago ; skunk, 
50 to 75 cents, and muskrat even as low as 10 cents 
for poor ones. In the last two or three years skunk 
skins have brought as high as $4 to $4.50 each to the 

aio 



PROFIT IN TRAPPING 311 

country trapper and mink even more. Considering 
the period from 1892 to 19 11, in comparison with the 
years from 1882 to 1891, some common raw furs show 
the following increases in value : Mink, 300 per cent ; 
skunk, 150 per cent; muskrat, 230 per cent; marten, 
580 per cent; red fox, 100 per cent. 

The decrease in the supply of fur-bearers is not en- 
tirely responsible for the advance in price. Many 
cheap furs have been popularized, and more people are 
wearing fur garments than ever before. Some com- 
mon furs are also misnamed, making them more at- 
tractive to the casual buyer. Skunk, for instance, is 
seldom sold under its true name, and muskrat fre- 
quently masquerades as brook mink. 

Judgment and restraint should be used in the de- 
struction of these animals except, of course, in indi- 
vidual cases where the poultry yard is being attacked. 
Unless the case is urgent it is better business sense to 
destroy the animals when their fur is prime and get 
the value out of it than to kill them during the summer 
or any other time when the fur is valueless. 

Always trap your fur-bearers when possible. The 
common steel trap is cheap and effective, and the in- 
creased value of the pelts of one or two trapped skunks, 
for instance, over the value of animals killed with a 
shotgun, will pay for a number of steel traps. Skunk 
is usually the first fur to become prime, and is one of 
the first to lose its luster. Late autumn and early 
winter, therefore, is the approved time for taking this 
animal. 



212 PROFIT IN TRAPPING 

Where shall I look for fur-bearing animals? That 
is a question which bothers every beginner. As a gen- 
eral rule, I would say, search along creeks, lakes, 
ponds, marshes, near woods and in weed patches. 
Generally speaking, rough, stony country furnishes the 
best place for the dens of those animals which are not 
aquatic. 

The skunk is fond of hilly country, especially if 
full of stones, brush, weeds and wood. Its dens are 
usually found on the tops of hills. In the prairie sec- 
tions it makes its home in weed patches, along hedges, 
around old stacks of straw or hay, and under de- 
serted houses and barns. The civet cat may be looked 
for in the same places. It very often has its burrow 
under board piles, around stone piles, under aban- 
doned walks and similar haunts. In fact, both of 
these fur bearers have been known to live under 
houses that were occupied. 

The raccoon is never found far from water. It 
prefers a wooded country. Frequently its dens are 
found in large hollow trees. The opossum, too, is 
fond of trees, and the thicker they are the better. 

A Minnesota farmer relates an interesting experi- 
ence in raising mink. As he gives some details which 
an amateur trapper or breeder needs to know, his 
vStatement is quoted: 

" I have been in the business of fur farming since 
April, 19 10, when I caught a female mink in a trap 
and found that she would soon become a mother. 
She brought me six little ones about the size of your 



PROFIT IN TRAPPING 213 

little finger and bare as a young born mouse. It took 
them about four weeks to get their eyes open. After 
that they grew very rapidly. I feed my minks fresh 
fish, birds and scraps from the butcher shop, but never 
salt food. The same year I caught 68 more mink, 
out of which I saved 18 female and eight males, mak- 
ing a total breeding pen of 23 females. I kept only 
two males which I turned in with the females. They 
began fighting at once with such bad results that they 
killed three females. The next year I tried a similar 
experiment, keeping 18 females to one male. That 
year produced only one young mink. 

'' The next year I paired them with actual results, 
each female producing six young ones. The mother 
and her young may be kept together until the next 
breeding season, but the males should be separated. 
The male is much larger than the female, and I have 
found it best to keep each in a little trap box which 
can easily be moved from one pen to another. 

"A nest box 6 by 4 by 12 feet is all the room a 
female mink requires to bring up her brood. This 
should be kept on the outside of the pen so that one 
can get in occasionally to chase the animals out and see 
what progress they are making, and also clean the 
box. I sold nine pairs to a man in Pine River for 
$225. Minks are very interesting to work with. They 
will come out and feed and play or bathe when the 
keeper is around and furnish much entertainment." 

The raccoon and opossum are harder to take in 
traps than either skunk, civet cat or muskrat. The 



214 PROFIT IN TRAPPING 

former makes its home wherever there is timber, and 
usually not far from water. The opossum also likes 
the woods, thick and filled with underbrush. In this 
respect the animals treated in this chapter are similar, 
although the 'coon is far more important to the fur 
trade, considering the value of each pelt, than the 'pos- 
sum. The last-named animal, because it ranges so 
far south is known as " cheap fur," for the reason 
that most of the skins — perhaps I should have said a 
large per cent of them — do not prime at all where 
the fur season is not cold. It might also be interest- 
ing to the trapper to know that within the last few 
years the pelt of the opossum has enjoyed a greater 
demand among manufacturers, due to the fact that it 
fills a demand for a serviceable fur which can be read- 
ily dyed, at a small cost. 

When trapping the raccoon, use nothing smaller 
than the No. i 1-2 trap. Many trappers have taken 
the animals in smaller sizes, but in the majority of 
cases the fur bearer will escape from sets made with 
them. Remember, also that fixed fastenings, such as 
stakes, are not best for this strong animal, and its 
sharp teeth have been known to sever a common pine 
stick to which a trap has been fastened. I would ad- 
vise all trappers to fasten their sets to rocks weighing 
enough so that the animals when caught could not 
drag them off, yet light enough not to give them a 
straight pull. 

With the opossum, it is different. Almost anything 



PROFIT IN TRAPPING 215 

can be used for a fastening, provided it is large enough 
to hold any kind of an animal at all. 

The raccoon, like its larger brother, the bear, seems 
to have an appetite which is never satisfied. It is very 
fond of sv^eets, and can be attracted by almost any- 
thing, such as corn, apples, fish, clams, honey and even 
jam. Both these fur bearers are susceptible to almost 
any good patent lure, for the reason that the sense 
of smell enables them to locate the scent for long dis- 
tances. 

Some trappers, if the weather is very warm, salt 
such skins as the skunk, raccoon and opossum, to save 
them from spoiling. This method should be follow^ed 
only in extreme cases, as salted skins bring lower prices 
than those cured otherwise. 

Unless the grease and fat are removed from a skin, 
it is liable to taint, or become grease burned. Furs in 
this condition are worth little or nothing. 

After a pelt has been removed, a steel stretcher is 
best for curing it, since the air circulates more freely 
through the hair. If steel stretchers are not em- 
ployed, use forms made of thin boards. Fashion 
these of a size to fit the pelt and have the edges 
rounded so the skin will not be injured. Use tacks to 
keep the skin in place. 

Never dry furs over a fire or in the sun. Place 
them in a cool, shady place where it is not damp. 

Before going into the business of trapping it would 
be well to write to one or two fur dealers for prices 



2l6 PROFIT IN TRAPPING 

and any information they are disposed to give. Many 
of them have circulars which are useful to amateurs, 
and all of them are ready to quote prices and tell what 
kind of pelts they prefer. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

ANGORA GOAT RAISING 

Young people living on farms will do well to give 
some attention to the raising of Angora- goats. These 
animals are hardy and profitable. They will thrive on 
rough bits of ground and help to clear up a field of 
weeds or underbrush. It is not necessary to devote a 
great deal of fine pasture land to them. The Angora 
fleece has high value in the market. There is also 
money to be made in selling well bred young animals. 

The raising of Angora goats in the United States 
is now a demonstrated success. The industry is indeed 
so well established here that growers need not be in- 
convenienced by the action of South Africa in pro- 
hibiting the exportation of Angoras, for the quantity 
of good blood in this country is already sufficient to 
meet all requirements. In the opinion of experts the 
best American fleeces now equal any grown in South 
Africa or Asia Minor, the original home of the Angora. 

Although nearly every state in the Union now pos- 
sesses its flocks, the Southwest and the Northwest are 
especially well adapted to the industry, in particular 
the large areas recently logged-off in the Northwest. 
There the Angora not only thrives himself but helps 

217 



2i8 ANGORA GOAT RAISING 

to clear away the brush which, if allowed to grow 
unchecked, might easily become a dangerous fire trap. 
Thus it is often said that the Angora works and pays 
for its board at the same time. 

It is paying more and more, for the value of the 
fleece or mohair is increasing steadily. Formerly the 
use of mohair depended so largely upon the prevailing 
fashion that its price varied widely from year to year. 
This condition, however, is rapidly changing as new 
uses for mohair are continually found, from auto- 
mobile tops and table covers to dress goods and curled 
false hair, and to-day the grower is assured of a rea- 
sonably steady market. The price of course varies 
with the quality, the very best fleeces bringing on an 
average from 42 to 55 cents a pound. The weight of a 
fleece has a very wide range, but in 1909 the average 
for Oregon was found to be 3.7 pounds and for Texas 
1.85. On account of the greater heat, however, and 
the damage of shedding. Angoras in the Southwest are 
frequently shorn twice a year — a fact which must 
be taken into consideration in all calculations. 

This practice of clipping twice a year is in many 
ways a drawback to the industry since it tends to 
lower the average grade of American mohair. Mohair 
of the highest quality can be and is grown in this coun- 
try, but the average is not considered by dealers to be 
quite as good as the foreign. About 2,000,000 pounds 
are annually imported. Ordinarily this is blended and 
spun with the domestic product. Six inches is the 
shortest length of fleece usually desired and, because 



ANGORA GOAT RAISING 219 

of shearing twice a year, much Texas and New Mexico 
mohair falls below this standard. Where the fleece 
is allowed to grow for 12 months, the average length 
is 10 inches and in the best flocks it is not unusual to 
get 15 to 20 inches. Romeo, the sweepstakes buck at 
the El Paso show in 1910, is an example of what is 
possible. His fleece weighed 18 pounds, measured 
2o}i inches in length, and sold for $115. Such fleece 
is not of course the product of ordinary commercial 
conditions. It implies a considerable amount of care 
and personal attention. 

There is much to be gained by careful breeding. 
Half-bred goats scarcely shear enough to pay for 
the shearing; three-fourths-bred goats shear i to lyi 
pounds, worth 15 to 20 cents ; seven-eighths-bred goats 
shear 2 to 3 pounds, worth 20 to 30 cents ; fifteen-six- 
teenths-bred goats shear 3 to 5 pounds, worth 30 to 40 
cents. 

The following instances are given of remarkable 
mohair yields and prices : Among the Angora goats 
exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 
October, 1904, were two goats which, because of the 
long fleeces that they carried, attracted more attention 
than any others of the prize winners. One of these 
was a doe owned by Mrs. M. Armer, of New Mexico ; 
the other, Kingston Lad, was the property of Tom 
Wedgwood, also of New Mexico. 

Mrs. Armer's doe sheared 14 pounds. The length 
of the staple is not stated, but the longest of it was 
about 18 inches. The mohair was sent to a purchaser 



220 ANGORA GOAT RAISING 

in New York City who fixes his own price upon long 
mohair. He buys all he can find in this country and 
imports largely besides. He uses the hair in the manu- 
facture of various things, such as wigs, switches, nets, 
ornaments, flowers, etc. The following was his pay- 
ment to Mrs. Armer : 

2 pounds, at $5 $10.00 

7 pounds, at $4 28.00 

5 pounds, at $1 5.00 

Total $43.00 

Mr. Wedgwood's buck sheared 16 pounds. Ten 
pounds of this he sold to the gentleman already re- 
ferred to at $5 a pound. The owner says he gave 
away ringlets from the buck at St. Louis to the amount 
of 2 pounds at least. Most of the fleece was over 20 
inches long. 

In this connection it is interesting to note that a 
considerable number of persons in various parts of the 
country have sold whatever very long mohair they 
raised for very high prices — all of it to one man. 
For instance, William Riddell & Sons, of Oregon, sold 
25 pounds for $42, as follows: 

3 pounds, at $3 $ 9-00 

5 pounds, at $2 10.00 

15 pounds, at $1.50 22.50 

2 pounds, at 25 cents (waste) 50 

Total $42.00 

The Northern Angora Goat and Live Stock Com- 
pany, of Montana, on one occasion received from the 



ANGORA GOAT RAISING 221 

dealer in long mohair $6.50 a pound for 42 pounds, a 
total of $273. This is the highest price on record and 
indicates that the mohair was remarkably long and fine. 

It seems that there would be a limited demand for 
mohair for the purposes for which this very long staple 
is used. So long as there is a demand for a particu- 
lar quality of mohair at such great prices the breeders 
will be wise if they endeavor to supply it. 

Besides the mohair there grows upon the Angora 
goat coarse, chalky white, stiff, straight hair, varying 
in length from half an inch to 4 inches, technically 
known as " kemp.'" It is generally believed that kemp 
is a relic of the common goat blood in the Angora, as 
it is a matter of history that the Angora flocks of the 
United States, as well as those of Asia Minor and 
South Africa, have been largely increased by crossing 
upon does of common blood. 

The reason why kemp is objectionable is that it will 
not take the dyes used for mohair; the only effect of 
the dyes is slightly to discolor the kemp. There are 
dyes, it is true, which act upon kemp, but they have no 
effect upon mohair ; and the best efforts put forth have 
not yet resulted in a mixture of dyes that will act sat- 
isfactorily upon both mohair and kemp at the same 
time. 

Kemp appears in its worst phase in plushes, where 
every individual hair shows prominently. Its pres- 
ence here is much more pronounced than when in the 
fleece, where it is nearly of the same color as the mo- 
hair. It is therefore of great importance that this 



222 ANGORA GOAT RAISING 

objectionable substance should be removed from the 
fleeces. If any kemp should escape the eye and be 
woven into the plush fabric it would not be discovered 
until the fabric came from the dye, for it must be re- 
membered that mohair plushes are woven " in the 
white," and afterwards (perhaps several months or a 
year) are dyed according to instructions to fill orders. 
Kemp, at this stage of the process, becomes an expen- 
sive proposition, for skillful hands must burl out every 
fiber of it as well as every other bit of foreign sub- 
stance. In the cheaper plushes, such as are largely 
used in street cars, there is a considerable quantity of 
kemp. Much of this material may also be used with- 
out detriment in the manufacture of rugs. 



CHAPTER XXIX 

BELGIAN HARES AND DOMESTIC RABBITS 

Young people who wish to raise Belgian hares or do- 
mestic rabbits for market do not need a very expensive 
equipment or much room. If they have a good-sized 
lot which may be fenced in with woven wire they may 
easily establish a good working plant. A boy or girl 
living in the country has the best chance to do a large 
business, but this need not deter young people in town 
from earning a nice little sum every year. 

Belgian hares are more profitable than domestic rab- 
bits, for there is a general demand for them as pets, 
and a fine specimen will sell at from $5 to $10, but 
they are more commonly raised for meat. A good, 
healthy doe will raise five litters in one year, and they 
will average about six in each litter. The market calls 
for young rabbits at from six to ten weeks, and a fair 
price is 60 cents each. The cost of food is so little 
that a large profit remains. There is nothing to hinder 
a really fine business in this line for any intelligent 
youth who has a little ground space and a few dollars 
for fencing and housing. 

Belgian hare meat is tender and palatable, and it is 
easy to work up a private trade for it. Families pay 

223 



224 BELGIAN HARES AND DOMESTIC RABBITS 

retail prices, and this gives rather more profit than 
when the product is sold entirely to restaurants or 
commission men. A rabbit that will bring 60 cents 
in market does not consume more than 10 to 15 cents' 
worth of food. A mixture of oats and bran makes a 
good ration for rabbits. In summer the animals will 
pick up a great deal of their feed in a grass plot, 
especially if there is considerable clover, either white or 
red. In winter it is necessary to provide a little clover 
for the animals. 

Keep the hutches nice and clean. After sprinkling 
a little lime on the floor put in some wheat straw to 
catch the droppings. Sometimes a layer of sawdust is 
put in with the wheat straw on top, which makes them 
less difficult to keep clean. In the summer, when the 
weather is very warm, the hutches and yards should 
be sprinkled with a good " stock dip," and this is a 
very good rem,edy when there are hares with a con- 
tagious disease in the herd. 

Beginners in hare culture should not make the mis- 
take of buying culls simply because they are cheap. 
It is better to pay $15 for a trio of thoroughbred hares 
than even to pay transportation on culls. Purchase 
your breeders from some reliable fancier and breeder 
and pay him a handsome price. By so doing you will 
be able to compete with your neighbor. After you 
have purchased foundation stock you can raise good 
hares just as cheaply as culls and the results are far 
more satisfactory. 

You wish to keep rabbits ; or you know some friend 



BELGIAN HARES AND DOMESTIC RABBITS 225 

who does? Well, here are the plans of a strong and 
thoroughly serviceable hutch which was made some 
years ago out of a packing case, and which has safely 
and comfortably housed my rabbits ever since. 

I secured a good, sound packing box, measuring 
roughly about four feet by two feet by two feet, and 
made of wood three-quarters inch thick. The ends 
were about one inch. The top I removed and laid 
aside for use in other ways. The case was then thor- 
oughly overhauled and the edges of the open top planed 
true. The case was of course intended to stand on its 
side, the top forming the front. 

As a rabbit hutch should never stand with the 
bottom on the ground, the next thing was to provide 
legs. For these I got four lengths of wood one and 
one-half inches square and thirty inches long, and 
screwed them (from the inside) to the ends. This 
raised the hutch about six inches from the ground. 
The top ends of the legs were gently rounded for a 
finish. 

The hutch is divided into two parts, a day house and 
a night shelter. A fillet two inches wide and one inch 
thick was nailed in position and a partition was made 
up from the waste w^ood of the packing case lid. A 
suitable opening was cut in this partition to form a 
doorway, and several ventilating holes, one inch in di- 
ameter, were bored in the back and end of the night 
shelter a few inches from the top. 

The front, with its door and its hinged frame, had 
then to be tackled. The fillet was so placed that the 



226 BELGIAN HARES AND DOMESTIC RABBITS 

door came out one foot six inches wide, the height be- 
ing one foot eleven inches. The door, like the parti- 
tion, was made from the packing case top, four four 
and one-half inch boards being joined together with 
two back battens. It was hinged at the right-hand 
side, a strong hook and eye being fixed at the left, and 
a stop inside being provided to prevent the door open- 
ing inwards. The door opens within the edges of the 
hutch, not over them. 

The hinged frame of the day nursery came out at 
two feet two inches long by one foot eleven inches 
high. The frame itself was simply put together with 
four lengths of one and one-half inches by one inch 
stuff, the comers being halved and firmly screwed. 
For the bars (nine in number) one-half inch dwelling 
was used, holes being drilled in the top and bottom of 
framing to receive them. 

The barred frame was hinged at the top, hooks and 
eyes securing it at the foot. The top of the hutch was 
covered with tarred felt as a protection from rain. 



CHAPTER XXX 

CORN AND PIG CLUBS 

Corn and pig clubs for boys of school age are being 
promoted by the United States Department of Agri- 
culture, the state agricultural colleges and other insti- 
tutions. Their objects are to stimulate interest in 
rural life and bring about an increased and better pro- 
duction of grain and live stock. 

These organizations are on a basis similar to that 
of the girls' garden and canning clubs. There is a 
considerable expenditure in both Hnes of activity, 
mainly in the way of educating the young people. 
States, counties and schools are giving substantial 
prizes. Boys and girls in nearly every community 
have an opportunity to become members of these clubs 
and gain the benefit of much valuable training, to say 
nothing of their acreage earnings and prizes. 

School boys are of the age suitable for club work 
and are surrounded by the conditions most likely to 
lead to its successful completion. Home project work 
is coming to be looked on as part of the regular school 
program and as a supplement to the usual routine of 
school lessons. 

The proper cultivation of corn is one of the most 

327 



328 CORN AND PIG CLUBS 

important aims of the agricultural world to-day. The 
best methods include the selection and testing of seed, 
crop rotation, the building up of the soil, weed re- 
pression, mulching, etc. While the first purpose of 
corn clubs is crop production, it does not follow that 
all other character building and habit forming agencies 
are left out of the consideration. It is clearly the in- 
tention to reach the boy and endeavor through instruc- 
tion and direction in contests and friendly rivalry to 
encourage the education of the head, heart and hands. 
When corn growing is on its highest plane, meat ani- 
mals offer the best market for the crop, and there 
should be more interest in securing good yields of 
corn as well as in fattening live stock. 

More study of rations is needed, including the use 
of a forage crop and more sanitary feeding, if profits 
are to become what they should be. The work of 
growing corn and raising pigs belong together and 
one in no way interferes with the other. Increased in- 
terest in pig raising will result in better management 
of the soil. 

Boys should learn to handle stock, for usually they 
love that kind of work. The general care of hogs and 
other domestic animals is not beyond the capacity 
of school children above the age of nine years. This 
includes proper methods of feeding and housing, to- 
gether with the treatment of such common ailments 
as the animals are subject to. Any bright youth can 
learn to keep stables and pens clean, to provide pure 
drinking water and to give a proper variety of feed. 



CORN AND PIG CLUBS 229 

Such work leads up to a close knowledge of financial 
management. A boy who likes animals and is accus- 
tomed to taking care of them is pretty sure to become 
a successful farmer and a good citizen generally. 

In all farm operations an acre is considered the 
basis of work. All estimates in the business of farm- 
ing are by the acre. It is therefore advisable that the 
boys' corn-club work maintain a uniformity through- 
out the states in taking an acre as a basis of corn-club 
work. This does not interfere with a larger acreage. 
In fact, club members are urged to farm more land 
wherever possible. 

The object of the work on the i acre, however, is to 
limit the work to a piece of land that can be properly 
prepared, fertilized, and managed during the growing 
season. It must be distinctly understood that the 
corn-club acre is a demonstration acre and has for its 
ultimate aim the demonstration of the values of better 
methods of corn culture and to make the boy feel that 
he is doing a part of the world's work. Fractional 
acreage for corn-club work is not encouraged. In the 
case of a special demand being made for half -acre plats 
in certain localities where the acreage is limited, this 
work is classified as a " special contest " and not de- 
nominated as regular club work. Special premiums 
should be provided for the half-acre contest work, and 
contestants of this class will not be in competition with 
the acre class. The acre should contain 160 square 
rods, or 4,840 square yards, and should provide for 
a margin oi lY^ feet on the four sides of the acre plat 



230 CORN AND PIG CLUBS 

between the first row of corn and the marginal lines 
of the acre. 

Gather the corn on a dry day and weigh it. Weigh 
out two lots of 100 pounds each from different parts 
of the total quantity. Shell each lot and weigh the 
shelled corn separately. In order to find the percent- 
age of shelled corn divide by 2 the sum of the two 
weights thus obtained. Then multiply the total weight 
of all the corn gathered by this average percentage 
and divide by 56. This will give the number of bushels 
of shelled corn. 

Every boy whose yield would entitle him to close 
competition for the prize trip to Washington, D. C, 
and the champion position in county, district, or state 
should submit a sample of his grain for the moisture 
test, as provided by the following rule : 

The corn must be weighed in the presence of two 
disinterested witnesses, who shall immediately after 
weighing take a fair sample of i quart of shelled corn 
(i pint from each sample lot weighed), place this 
sample in the moisture-tight package at once, and mail 
it in this container to the United States Department 
of Agriculture, Office of Grain Standardization, Wash- 
ington, D. C., or to one of the grain-standardization 
laboratories outside of Washington designated by the 
state agent in charge of the club work. Moisture- 
tight mailing supplies will be furnished by the United 
States Department of Agriculture upon application 
from the state leader or club members. This sample 
of shelled corn must be accompanied by a certificate 



CORN AND PIG CLUBS 231 

of the total weight and percentage of shelled corn. 
The moisture test shall be made from this sample, and 
from the weight and moisture test the percentage of 
shelled corn will determine the official yield of the 
club member. Yields are to be calculated to a uniform 
basis of 12 per cent of moisture. This is about the 
normal moisture content of old and well-cured corn 
during the summer months. 

The county superintendent of schools and the county 
agent in charge of field studies and demonstrations are 
by virtue of their positions considered the special 
county leaders in the boys' corn-club work and will 
cooperate with the state leader in field studies and 
demonstrations and the state agents in charge of club 
work. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

ARTICLES OF WOODWORK 

A WHOLE book would be needed to describe all the 
useful articles that boys can make in the line of wood- 
work. I just wish to suggest that this is a great 
field for money making. Every household needs to 
have odd jobs of repairing done, and nearly every 
housekeeper will buy rustic seats, tables, benches, 
shelves, ets. Just try a little canvassing among your 
friends, if you are in need of employment, and see 
how many jobs can be picked up in a few hours. 

The boy who devotes himself entirely to a trade may 
become proficient in that trade, and yet may lack in 
the general knowledge of doing those common things 
that are so necessary to the farm and home. 

A suggestive list is given containing a number of 
common articles that have to be made for every home 
and on every farm, together with a number of 
processes with which every boy should be familiar. 
There are localities to which not all of these sugges- 
tions may apply, and it will be desirable to add to this 
list some things that are applicable only to certain 
local requirements. It is not the purpose to furnish 
any complete list, but merely to give sugegstions as 
to what may be done. 

232 



ARTICLES OF WOODWORK 



233 



A start in this line of work may be made with a 
very few tools. It is not best to buy everything one 
thinks of. Additions to the list of tools can be made 
as money is earned and patronage justifies the outlay. 
Boys need a course in manual training, or at least a 
little practical training. 



ARTICLES TO BE MADE 



Bread boards. 
Flour boxes. 
Shelves. 
Rustic chairs. 
Poultry nests. 
Hen roosts. 
Chicken coops. 
Clothes boxes. 
Hotbeds. 
Cold frames. 
Wall pockets. 
Wall pegs. 
Kindling boxes. 
Garden seats. 
Footstools. 



Gates. 

Milk stools. 
Feed troughs. 
Water troughs. 
Benches. 
Cupboards. 
Towel rollers. 
Window screens. 
Door screens. 
Bookcases. 
Storage chests. 
Garden trellis. 
Flower stands. 
Stepladders. 



PROCESSES TO BE LEARNED 



Setting posts. 
Building fence. 
Planting trees. 
Oiling harness. 
Mending harness. 



Mending with rivets. 
Caring for farm and other 

tools. 
Pruning trees. 
Protecting trees. 



234 



ARTICLES OF WOODWORK 



Putting handles in tools. 


Mixing paint and glazing. 


Nailing on horseshoes. 


Building roads. 


Sharpening plows. 


Putting culverts in roads. 


Mixing mortar. 


Gluing. 


Laying cement walk. 


Soldering. 


Laying stone wall. 


Harnessing, hitching, and 


Hanging doors. 


unhitching. 


Setting locks. 




WOODWORKING TOOLS 


Two-foot rule. 


Auger bits. 


Carpenter's steel square. 


Brace. 


Try-square. 


Spokeshave. 


T-bevel. 


Screw-driver. 


Dividers. 


Gimlet bits. 


Claw hammer. 


Countersink. 


Plane. 


Oilstone. 


Marking gauge. 


Oil can. 


Ripsaw. 


Vise. 


Crosscut saw. 


Bench stop. 


Chisel. 


Bench hook. 


Drawknife. 


Miter box. 


Mallet. 


Carpenter's horse. 


Mortise gauge. 


Gluepot. 


mason's tools 


Crowbar. 


Mason's brush. 


Edger. 


Point. 


Groover. 


Pitching chisel. 


Mallet. 


Stone ax. 



ARTICLES OF WOODWORK 235 

Trowel, mason's. Trowel, pointing. 

Trowel, plastering. Ladder. 

painter's tools 

Oval brush, No. 8. Glass cutter. 

Varnish brush, 2-inch. Putty knife. 

Varnish brush, 3-inch. Sash tool, No. 2. 
Wall brush, No. 6. 

blacksmith's tools 

Shoeing hammer. Ball peen hammer. 

Pincers. Cross peen hammer. 

Trimming knife. Horse rasp. 



CHAPTER XXXII 

FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 

Some knowledge of the cultivation of flowers should 
be counted a necessary part of every young person's 
education. This becomes doubly important to those 
who have money earning in view. Boys and girls who 
have this activity in mind, either for pleasure or profit, 
will gain something from a study of the following 
planting schedule : 

Achillea — Plant June-October, 12 inches apart: 
Bloom July-October : Color, white : A perennial, 
two feet high. The Pearl is a good variety. 

Ageratum — Plant indoors March, outdoors May. 6 
inches apart : Bloom June-October : Color, blue, 
white: Annual, grown from seeds or cuttings. 
Fine for borders. Blues are most popular. 

Alyssum (Annual) — Plant May-June, 4 inches apart : 
Bloom June-October: Color, white: Excellent 
annual for borders. 

Alyssum (Perennial) — Plant June-September, 6 
inches apart: Bloom, July-October: Color, yel- 
low: Used for edgings and rock work. 

Aquilegia (Columbine) — Plant June 15-September, 
8 inches apart: Bloom June-September: Color, 
336 



FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 237 

white, yellow, blue, pink : Hardy perennial. 
Blooms the second year. 

Asters (China) — Plant indoors March-April, out- 
doors May-June, 9 inches apart: Bloom July- 
October: Color, white, pink, yellow, red, purple, 
lavender. 

Balsam — Plant May, 9 inches apart : Bloom, July- 
September : Color, red, white, pink, yellow : An- 
nual, to grow in clumps in the sun. 

Calendula (Pot marigold) — Plant May-June, 6 
inches apart: Bloom June-October: Color, yel- 
low, orange: Easily grown annuals, that self- 
sow. Fill vacant spots with them. 

Calliopsis — Plant May, 6 inches apart : Bloom, July- 
October : Color, yellow, brown : Showy annuals, 
good for cutting. Easy to grow, but they like the 
sun. 

Campanula (Canterbury Bells) — Plant June-August, 
12 inches apart: Bloom June-August: Color, 
white, blue, pink : Perennial, blooming the second 
year. 

Celosia (Cockscomb) — Plant indoors April, outdoors 
May, 6 inches apart: Bloom June-October: 
Color, white, red, pink, yellow : Annual. Combs 
may be dried for winter bouquets. 

Candytuft — Plant May 15-June, 4 inches apart: 
Bloom June-October: Color, pink, white, red, 
purple: Annuals, for beds, borders or to cut. 
Make successive sowings. 

Centaurea (Corn flower) — Plant April, 6 inches 



238 FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 

apart : Bloom June-October : Color, blue, white, 
pink: Annual, to grow in masses. Self-sown. 
Keep flowers picked. 

Chrysanthemum (Annual) — Plant indoors April, out- 
doors May, 6 inches apart : Bloom July-October : 
Color, white, yellow, red: Annuals, for massing 
at a distance. 

Cobea — Plant indoors April, 8 inches apart : Bloom 
July-October: Color, purple: Climbing vine. 
Plant seeds edgewise. 

Cosmos (Early) — April indoors April, outdoors 
May, 12 inches apart: Bloom, September-Octo- 
ber: Color, white, pink, red: Tender annuals. 
Pinch back to make bushy plants. 

Cosmos (Late) — Plant indoors March-May, out- 
doors May, 12 inches apart : Bloom September- 
October: Color, white, pink, orange: Tie to 
stakes if exposed to winds. 

Dahlia — Plant March- April indoors, transplant 36 
inches apart: Bloom August-October: Color, 
white, yellow, pink, red : Late started plants give 
largest flowers. 

Delphinium (Larkspur) — Plant June- August, 12 
inches apart: Bloom July-October: Color, blue 
yellow, white: Fine tall perennials. Bloom the 
second year. Blues are best. 

Dianthus (Pinks) — Plant indoors March-May, out- 
doors May, 6 inches apart : Bloom July-October : 
Color, white, red, striped: Perennial, blooming 
the first year. 



FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 239 

Digitalis ( Foxglove ) — Plant July-August, 9 inches 
apart : Bloom July-August : Color, pink, white, 
blue: Fine in hardy border. Bloom the second 
year. 

Eschscholtzia (California poppy) — Plant May, 4 
inches apart : Bloom July- August : Color, yel- 
low, orange: Do not transplant. Foliage is 
pretty. 

Gaillardia — Plant indoors April, outdoors May, 6 
inches apart : Bloom July-September : Color, yel- 
low, red : Showy annual, for beds. 

Gourds — Plant indoors March-April, outdoors May, 
4 inches apart: Bloom September-October: 
Fruit bearing : Excellent to hide unsightly objects. 

Four O'clocks — Plant indoors April, outdoors May, 8 
inches apart : Bloom July-September : Color, 
white, pink: Annuals, for borders or beds. 

Gypsophilia — Plant April indoors, May outdoors, 10 
inches apart: Bloom July-September: Color, 
white : Fine to use in bouquets. 

Helianthus (Sunflower) — Plant May, 12 inches 
apart : Bloom July-October : Color, yellow : 
Make a good screen. Try the new kinds. 

Hollyhock — Plant March- April indoors, June 1 5- 
July outdoors, 15 inches apart: Bloom August- 
September: Color, white, red, yellow, pink. 
Perennial. Spray with Bordeaux. 

Kochia (Summer Cypress) — Plant April, 12 inches 
apart : No flowers : The foliage turns red in the 
fall. 



240 FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 

Larkspur (Annual) — Plant indoors March- April, 
outdoors May-June, 6 inches apart : Bloom June- 
September: Color, red, white, blue, pink: Grow 
in masses. The flowers are good for cutting. 

Lobelia — Plant indoors April, outdoors May, 4 inches 
apart: Bloom June-September: Color, blue, 
white: Lobelia Erinus is very popular for low 
edgings. It is blue. Use manure water for 
Lobelias. 

Marigold ~ Plant indoors April, outdoors May, 6 
inches apart: Bloom July-October: Color, 
brown, red, yellow: Showy, easily-grown an- 
nuals. 

Mignonette — Plant indoors March- April, outdoors 
May, 6 inches apart: Bloom July-October: 
Flowers very fragrant. Make successive sowings. 
Like cool soil. 

Myosotis (Forget-me-not) — Plant March- April in- 
doors, June outdoors, 6 inches apart: Bloom 
June-August: Color, blue, pink, white: Peren- 
nial, but blooms the first season. Likes shade and 
moist soil. 

Nasturtium — Plant indoors April, outdoors May, 6 
inches apart: Bloom June-October: Various 
colors : One of the best annuals. 

Nicotiana (Tobacco plant) — Plant indoors April, out- 
doors May, 9 inches apart. Bloom July-October : 
Color, white, pink: Tall, fragrant annuals, open- 
ing toward evening. 

Pansy — Plant indoors March-May, outdoors April- 



FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 241 

October, 4 inches apart : Bloom April-October : 
Many colors: Give a rich, cool, moist soil and 
keep the blossoms picked. 

Petunia — Plant indoors February-April, outdoors 
May, 6 inches apart: Bloom June-October: 
Color, red, pink, white: One of the most free- 
flowering annuals. Don't neglect watering. 

Phlox (Annual) — Plant indoors March-April, out- 
doors May, 8 inches apart : Bloom July-October : 
Color, red, white, yellow, pink : One of the best 
low annuals. 

Poppy (Annual) — Plant April, 4 inches apart: 
Bloom June-September: Color, red, white, pink, 
yellow : Very attractive. Do not transplant. 
Make successive sowings. 

Poppy (Perennial) — Plant June-September, 9 inches 
apart : Bloom June-August : Color, red, white, 
pink, yellow : Fine to give bright colors. 

Portulaca — Plant May-July, 4 inches apart : Bloom 
July-August: Color, red, white, pink: Unex- 
celled for dry, sandy and sunny spots. Close at 
night. 

Pyrethrum — Plant June-September, 12 inches apart: 
Bloom July- August : Color, red, white, pink : 
Grow in masses. Good to cut. 

Ricinus (Castor Oil Plant) — Plant indoors April, 
outdoors May, 36 inches apart. No bloom : Very 
ornamental annual. Best started in the house in 
pots. 

Salpiglossis — Plant indoors April, outdoors, May, 6 



242 FLOWER PLANTING CALENDAR 

inches apart: Bloom July-October: Color, 
white, brown, red : Good mid-summer annual and 
easy to grow. 

Salvia — Plant indoors February-March, outdoors 
May, 1 8 inches apart: Bloom August-October: 
Color, scarlet : Give a green background and rich, 
sandy soil. 

Scabiosa (Mourning Bride) — Plant indoors April, 
outdoors May, 9 inches apart: Bloom July-Sep- 
tember: Color, white, yellow, pink: Long- 
flowering annual. 

Stocks — Plant February- April indoors. May out- 
doors, 12 inches apart: Bloom July-October: 
Color, pink, white, scarlet, yellow : Good for beds 
and to cut. 

Sweet Pea — Plant March- April, 3 inches apart : 
Bloom July-September: Many colors: Plant 
only in rich, moist soil. Later, mulch the roots. 

Verbena — Plant indoors February-April, outdoors 
May, 6 inches apart: Bloom June-October: 
Color, white, red, blue, pink : Splendid annual for 
beds. 

Zinnia — Plant indoors March- April, outdoors May, 
6 inches apart: Bloom June-October: Color, 
red, yellow, white, pink : Good summer plant for 
beds, and quick to grow. 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR 

The quantity of seed given is amount needed to plant 
lOO feet, unless otherwise specified. 

Asparagus — Plant April-May : i oz. seed : Plant 

1 inch deep, 3 to 5 inches apart : Give rich, well- 
drained soil. 

Asparagus plants — Plant April-May : 50-80 plants : 
Plant 8 inches deep, 12 inches apart: Plant one- 
year old roots and grow two years before cutting. 
Mulch with manure in the fall. 

Beans (bush) — Plant May-August: i pt. seed: 
Plant 2 inches deep, 3 to 6 feet apart : Make suc- 
cessive plantings. 

Beans (pole) — Plant May: J^ pt. seed: Plant 

2 inches deep, 3 to 4 feet apart: Plant several 
kinds to determine which succeeds best in your 
soil. 

Beets — Plant April-August : 2 oz. seed : Plant i 

inch deep, 18 inches apart: Plant an abundance 

to allow for beet greens. Use Early Egyptian. 

Cabbage (early) — Plant indoors March, outdoors 

May: >4 oz. seed: Plant Yi inch deep, 18 

243 



244 VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR 

inches apart: For very early cabbages sow seed 
in the hot bed and transplant to cold frame in 
March. 

Cabbage (late) — Plant May: J4 oz. seed: Plant 
J4 inch deep, 24 inches apart : Be sure to try the 
Savoy. It is unrivalled. 

Carrot — Plant April-July: i oz. seed: Plant J4 
inch deep, 3 to 8 inches apart: Grow French 
Forcing and plant for a succession. Danvers Half- 
long is good for winter. 

CauHflower — Plant indoors March, outdoors May : 
J4 oz. seed : Plant yi inch deep, 20 inches apart ; 
Likes a cool, rich moist soil. 

Celery — Plant indoors March, outdoors May-June : 
J4 oz. seed: }i inch deep, 4 to 8 inches apart: 
Grow Paris Golden for an early crop and Boston 
Market later. 

Corn — Plant indoors April, outdoors May-June : 
J4 pt. seed: Plant i>^ inches deep, 30 to 35 inches 
apart: Golden Bantam planted every two weeks 
will give a long succession. 

Cucumber — Plant indoors March, outdoors April- 
July: >4 oz. seed: Plant i inch deep in hills 
4 feet apart : Get early " cukes '* by starting seeds 
in the house or in a cold frame. 

Egg Plant — Plant indoors March, outdoors April- 
May: Ys oz. seed: Plant >4 inch deep, 16 to 
24 inches apart : Needs a long season. 

Endive — Plant April-September : i oz. seed : Plant 
J4 inch deep, 6 to 12 inches apart. Grow like 



VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR 245 

lettuce, and tie up the leaves to blanch them two or 
three weeks before wanted. 

Kale — Plant May: i 02. seed: Plant Y^ inch 
deep, 24 inches apart : Kale is best after the frost 
has touched it. 

Lettuce — Plant indoors Feb.-March, outdoors April- 
Aug. 10: J/2 oz. seed: Plant }i inch deep, 6 
inches apart. Must be grown rapidly to be good. 

Muskmelon — Plant indoors April, outdoors May- 
June: yi oz. for 15 hills: Plant i inch deep, 
hills 6 feet apart : Grow an early kind, like Netted 
Gem, in the North. Put manure in the hill. 

Melon (Watermelon) — Plant May-June: J4 oz. 
seed for 15 hills: Plant i inch deep, hills 8 feet 
apart: Ask your seedsman to recommend a 
variety. Use manure in the hill. 

Onions — Plant indoors Feb., outdoors April : i oz. 
seed: Plant J^ inch deep, 3 inches apart: Plant 
Danvers Yellow Globe and keep the ground well 
cultivated. 

Parsley — Plant April : >^ oz. seed : Plant Y^ inch 
deep, 6 inches apart : Soak the seed over night in 
lukewarm water. 

Parsnip — Plant April : Y2 oz- seed : Plant Y^ 
inch deep, 6 inches apart : Use the Student in the 
home garden. 

Peas — Plant March-June : i pt. seed : Plant 2Y2 
inches deep and thick : Make the ground very fine 
and plant for a succession. 

Peppers — Plant indoors March, outdoors May-June 



246 VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR 

(Set out plants) Yz oz. seed: Plant >^ inch deep, 
2 feet apart : Must be started under cover. 

Potato (Irish) — Plant May-June: i peck for 100 
hills: Plant early variety 2 inches deep, late 5 
inches, 12 inches or more apart: Irish Cobbler is 
a good early sort and Green Mountain a reliable 
late variety. 

Pumpkin — Plant May-July: J4 oz. for 15 hills: 
Plant I y2 inches deep in hills 6 feet apart : Pump- 
kins may be planted in the corn or beside the com- 
post heap. 

Radish — Plant indoors Feb.-March, outdoors April- 
September: I oz. seed: Plant J^ inch deep, 
2 inches apart: Plant every ten days for a long 
season. 

Rhubarb Roots — Plant spring or fall : 30 plants : 
Plant 3 inches deep, 3 feet apart : Rhubarb craves 
heavy feeding with manure every fall. 

Salsify (Oyster Plant) — Plant April: i oz. seed: 
Plant I inch deep, 5 inches apart : May be left in 
the ground like parsnips until spring. 

Spinach — Plant March-May and Oct. : i oz. seed : 
Plant I inch deep, 3 inches apart: Sowed in the 
fall and covered with a light litter spinach will give 
an early spring crop. 

Squash — Plant May-June : >4 oz. seed for 25 hills : 
Plant I J4 inches deep, in hills 5 feet apart : Grow 
on the edge of the garden and let the vines run on 
the grass to save garden space. 

Tomato — Plant indoors March, outdoors May-June : 



VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR 247 

% oz. seed for 250 plants: Plant ^ inch deep, 
36 inches apart : Feed the plants during the season 
instead of making the ground very rich. 
Turnip — Plant April-July : >^ oz. seed : Plant 
y2 inch deep, 4 inches apart : Grow Extra Early, 
White Milan and White Egg. 



THE END 



BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK 
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How and Where to Engage in Farming 
Farm Planning and Management 
Importance of Having Reliable Help 
Social Aspect of Farm Life 
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Profits Joined to Soil Improvement 
Parcel Post Advantages 
Progressive Dairy Management 
Beef Raising on Ordinary Farms 
Sheep Raising on a New Basis 
Money-Making Garden Crops 
Successful Poultry Management 
Profits in Small Fruits 
Flowers for Pleasure and Profit 

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